CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

21.89° N · 159.46° W · GEOID 1564550

Poipu

Kauai County, Hawaii · part of the Kapaa, HI metro

Limited data population under 5,000

HawaiiPoipu, HIPoipuPoipu

The short answer

Poipu is home to 1,175 people. Median household income is $143,333 a year and median rent is $2,840 a month, 23.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $1,110,000, about 7.7x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$2,840
108% above the median place
Median household income
$143,333
79% above the median place
Median home value
$1,110,000
248% above the median place
Unemployment
3.9%
21% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Poipu

  • 70% of homes stand vacant, more than in 99% of the 1,415 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 46 Hawaii places.
  • The median resident is 60.5 years old, older than in 98% of places its size. It is the highest of 55 Hawaii places.
  • Household income has grown 12.4% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 97% of places its size. It is the highest of 55 Hawaii places.
  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 100 hours a year commuting, less than in 95% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 55 Hawaii places.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs only about $32 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 93% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 54 Hawaii places.
01

Moving to Poipu

Kauai County loses about 4.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,933
Moved out2,195
Net−262

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Hawaii, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within HawaiiOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$91K
Leavers$75K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Kauai County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
17.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 14.8% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Kauai County report $90,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $75,300, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$113,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,840 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,872 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $1,110,000.
Getting to work
17 minutes each way on average; 22.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Cave Creek, AZ matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
14.8%
above the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
17.2%
200% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$90,556
28% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePoipuAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year117.2%200% above
Moved from another state114.8%above (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure-4.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$90,55628% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$75,3357% above
02

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 69.7%, above the median place (median 7.1%).

Poipu23.8%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$113,600
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.8%
17% above the median place
Home price to income
7.7x
104% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$108,900
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Poipu, $2,840 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Poipu.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Poipu? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
69.7%
above the median place (median 7.1%)
Property tax rate1
0.3%
71% below the median place
Median home value1
$1,110,000
248% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasurePoipuAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,840108% above
Rent to income123.8%17% above
Property tax rate10.3%71% below
Home price to income17.7x104% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$2,10530% above
HUD area median income3County figure$120,10012% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,92910% below
Median home value1$1,110,000248% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure-0.8%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure52.1%1% above
Homeownership181.2%22% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure52.0%3% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,87253% above
Vacant homes169.7%above (median 7.1%)
Median year built119820% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$92,778
132% above the median place
Mean commute1
17 min
33% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$143,333 +79%
Works from home22.0% +77%
Poverty rate8.5% −21%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePoipuAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$143,33379% above
Income per person1$92,778132% above
Unemployment1County figure3.9%21% below
Average annual pay5County figure$62,9985% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure5.5%49% above
Jobs5County figure33,29878% below
Poverty rate18.5%21% below
Mean commute117 min33% below
Works from home122.0%77% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 60.5, 55% above the median place.

Median age1
60.5
55% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
98.3%
6% above the median place
No health insurance1
3.1%
52% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher96.4% +4%
Household size2.2 −11%
Bachelor's or higher50.5% +58%
Born abroad17.3% +96%
All 8 people measures
MeasurePoipuAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,1756646th largest
Median age160.555% above
Bachelor's or higher150.5%58% above
High school or higher196.4%4% above
Household size12.211% below
Born abroad117.3%96% above
No health insurance13.1%52% below
Homes with broadband198.3%6% above
05

Life in Poipu

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks.

  • Sakuichi and Chieko Matsumoto Residence listed 2024

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents34.0 3.3×
Playgrounds per 10k34.0 3.6×
Grocery stores per 10k25.5 12.0×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k357.4 32.1×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails7 km 3.6×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars34.6 +66%
Shops48.3 +59%
Arts, recreation and fitness8.0 +95%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.0 −6%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Restaurants and bars per 10k7
34.6
66% above the median place
Shops per 10k7
48.3
59% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7
8.0
95% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasurePoipuAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure21133% above
Public school students10County figure9,23689% above
Students per teacher10County figure14.28% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure34.666% above
Shops per 10k7County figure48.359% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure8.095% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure19.06% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k834.0235% above
Playgrounds per 10k834.0262% above
Grocery stores per 10k825.5above (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8357.4above (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails87.3265% above
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings9192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 0.0, below the median place (median 90.1).

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Poipu. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk11
0.0
below the median place (median 90.1)
Tornado risk11
2.4
97% below the median place
Wildfire risk11
93.1
52% above the median place
All 5 weather and risk measures
MeasurePoipuAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Natural hazard risk11County figure84.59% below
Hurricane risk11County figure64.98% below
Tornado risk11County figure2.497% below
Wildfire risk11County figure93.152% above
Heat wave risk11County figure0.0below (median 90.1)
08

Poipu in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 24% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,840/mo (2024)$3,800/mo$3,110 to $4,620/mo+5.0%
Median household income$143,333 (2024)$188,000$159,000 to $222,500+4.6%
Median home value$1,110,000 (2024)$1,513,000$1,098,000 to $2,084,000+5.3%

The median home would be worth 8.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.7 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Poipu

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Cave Creek, AZ$2,493$107,067Compare
Pismo Beach, CA$2,232$118,072Compare
Rancho Murieta, CA$3,333$140,061Compare
Oak Brook, IL$2,590$175,870Compare
Oak Brook, ILRancho Murieta, CAPismo Beach, CACave Creek, AZPoipu, HIPoipuCave CreekPismo BeachRancho MurietaOak BrookPoipuCave CreekPismo BeachRancho MurietaOak Brook

Common questions

Is Poipu a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 70% of homes stand vacant, more than in 99% of the 1,415 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 46 Hawaii places. The median resident is 60.5 years old, older than in 98% of places its size. It is the highest of 55 Hawaii places. On cost, space and class size it scores 28 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Poipu expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $1,110,000.

What salary do you need to live in Poipu?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $113,600 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Poipu?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Cave Creek, AZ, Pismo Beach, CA, Rancho Murieta, CA and Oak Brook, IL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Poipu with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Poipu itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/poipu-hawaii

Citytistics. “Poipu, Hawaii.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/poipu-hawaii/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.