96778 ZIP Code — Pahoa, HI

Hawaii County, Hawaii

ZIP code 96778 is located in Pahoa, Hawaii, within Hawaii County. It covers approximately 211.50 square miles and serves a population of 14,310 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Hawaii (HT) — no DST timezone, served by area code 808.

About ZIP code 96778

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $220,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $39,010. Poverty affects 31% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 38% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 34 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 23%.

Overall, ZIP code 96778 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

14,310

population

211.50

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Hawaii (HT) — no DST

timezone

96778 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 96778

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 96778. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Pahoa	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

96771 Mountain View (8.2 mi) 96760 Kurtistown (9.1 mi) 96749 Keaau (13.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	14,310
Population density	68 / sq mi
State FIPS	15
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	211.50 sq mi
Water area	10.59 sq mi
Latitude	19.4368
Longitude	-155.0223
Timezone	Hawaii (HT) — no DST
Area code	808

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.4%	39.1%	29.0%
$50k – $100k	26.0%	31.0%	29.8%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	23.6%	29.9%
Over $200k	2.4%	6.3%	11.3%

Demographics & statistics

14,310

Population

People per sq mi

43.5

Median age

$39,010

Median household income

$24,076

Per capita income

$220,400

Median home value

$1,319

Median monthly rent

76.9%

Home ownership

31.0%

Poverty rate

11.6%

Unemployment

5,529

Housing units

22.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

414

Under 5

318

479

5–9

368

621

10–14

477

538

15–19

412

314

20–24

241

746

25–34

572

1,082

35–44

830

894

45–54

686

616

55–59

472

661

60–64

507

1,312

65–74

1,007

284

75–84

218

136

85+

105

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,324	23.2%
18 and over	10,986	76.8%
65 and over	3,062	21.4%
Median age	43.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 36%

Two or more races 31.9%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 13.7%

Asian 11.5%

Hispanic or Latino 3.9%

Other race 2.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Black or African American 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	5,355	36%
Two or more races	4,744	31.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2,035	13.7%
Asian	1,706	11.5%
Hispanic or Latino	584	3.9%
Other race	334	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	99	0.7%
Black or African American	37	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.4%	39.1%	29.0%
$50k – $100k	26.0%	31.0%	29.8%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	23.6%	29.9%
Over $200k	2.4%	6.3%	11.3%

Under $10k 14.6%

$10k–$15k 5.5%

$15k–$25k 16.5%

$25k–$35k 9.8%

$35k–$50k 10.5%

$50k–$75k 16.0%

$75k–$100k 9.8%

$100k–$150k 11.4%

$150k–$200k 2.3%

$200k+ 3.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	14.6%
$10k–$15k	5.5%
$15k–$25k	16.5%
$25k–$35k	9.8%
$35k–$50k	10.5%
$50k–$75k	16.0%
$75k–$100k	9.8%
$100k–$150k	11.4%
$150k–$200k	2.3%
$200k+	3.6%
Median income	$39,010

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.2%

$50k–$100k 4.9%

$100k–$150k 9.8%

$150k–$200k 20.0%

$200k–$300k 30.2%

$300k–$500k 21.4%

$500k–$1M 4.9%

$1M+ 1.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$220,400
Median rent / month	$1,319
Owner occupied	76.9%
Renter occupied	23.1%
Vacant	15.4%
Single-family detached	96.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.7%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	11.3%
2000–2009	23.4%
1990–1999	21.0%
1980–1989	18.0%
1970–1979	19.1%
1960–1969	2.3%
1950–1959	3.9%
1940–1949	0.2%
1939 or earlier	0.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.4%
1 bedroom	12.6%
2 bedrooms	23.8%
3 bedrooms	49.7%
4 bedrooms	7.8%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.2%
1 vehicle	37.9%
2 vehicles	37.6%
3 or more	19.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	19.9%
Propane / LP gas	2.3%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	1.0%
No fuel used	76.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,011	34.6%
Cohabiting couple	687	11.8%
Male householder, no spouse	1,756	30.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,361	23.4%
Households with children under 18	1,489	25.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,333	40.1%
Average household size	2.46

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.4%	29.2%
Married	40.2%	41.9%
Separated	2.0%	2.3%
Widowed	3.2%	10.0%
Divorced	17.1%	16.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.1%

Some HS, no diploma 7.6%

HS graduate 34.0%

Some college, no degree 21.7%

Associate's degree 10.9%

Bachelor's degree 13.8%

Graduate / professional 9.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.3%
Bachelor's or higher	22.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	145	4.4%
Kindergarten	173	5.3%
Elementary school	1,559	47.5%
High school	958	29.2%
College / grad school	447	13.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 30.1%

Retail trade 17.6%

Professional & management 15.1%

Construction 6.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.1%

Finance & real estate 5.3%

Public administration 4.9%

Wholesale trade 3.5%

Agriculture & mining 3.1%

Other services 3.0%

Transportation & utilities 2.6%

Information 1.3%

Manufacturing 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.5%
Service	20.4%
Sales & office	19.1%
Natural resources & construction	10.0%
Production & transportation	14.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.4%
Government	18.5%
Self-employed	9.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.9%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.4%
Carpool	14.8%
Public transit	1.8%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	11.1%
Other means	1.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.9

Poverty

All people 31.0%

Under 18 years 49.9%

18 and over 25.5%

Married-couple families 10.7%

Female-led households 42.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.3%
Retirement income	27.0%
Supplemental Security	5.9%
Cash public assistance	11.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	38.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	27.9%
High blood pressure	30.9%
High cholesterol	28.9%
Diabetes	10.8%
Heart disease	6.6%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	24.1%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.4%
Cancer	5.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.0%
Binge drinking	18.9%
No physical activity	21.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.7%
Depression	19.4%
Fair or poor health	17.3%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	11.9%
No health insurance	12.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.4%
Visited dentist	60.2%
Cholesterol screening	84.5%
Teeth loss	12.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	889	8.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	23.0%
Under 18	9.5%
18–64 years	22.7%
65 and over	38.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	48.8%
Public insurance	62.7%
No insurance	6.4%
Uninsured under 19	1.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	13,578	94.9%
Spanish	1,169	8.6%
Other Indo-European	85	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	109	0.8%
Other languages	515	3.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	12,667	88.5%
Born in same state	12,512	87.4%
Born in different state	7,109	49.7%
Foreign born	155	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	1,643	11.5%
Not a US citizen	1,076	65.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,277	8.9%
French	1,269	8.9%
Polish	363	2.5%
English	147	1%
Arab	146	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	93	0.6%
Dutch	57	0.4%
Norwegian	36	0.3%
German	35	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.6%
Internet access	92.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 96778

What city is ZIP code 96778 in?

ZIP code 96778 is primarily assigned to Pahoa, Hawaii.

What county is ZIP code 96778 in?

ZIP code 96778 falls within Hawaii County, Hawaii.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 96778?

31% of residents in ZIP code 96778 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 96778 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 96778 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 96778?

The median household income in ZIP code 96778 is $39,010, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 96778?

ZIP code 96778 has an estimated population of 14,310 residents, with a density of 68 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 96778 in?

ZIP code 96778 observes the HST timezone.