96781 ZIP Code — Papaikou, HI

Hawaii County, Hawaii

ZIP code 96781 is located in Papaikou, Hawaii, within Hawaii County. It covers approximately 51.57 square miles and serves a population of 1,629 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Hawaii (HT) — no DST timezone, served by area code 808.

About ZIP code 96781

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $671,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 84%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $92,188. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with professional and management as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 96781 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,629

population

51.57

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Hawaii (HT) — no DST

timezone

96781 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 96781

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 96781. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Papaikou	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

96783 Pepeekeo (3.9 mi) 96720 Hilo (8.1 mi) 96749 Keaau (17.4 mi) 96760 Kurtistown (18.4 mi) 96771 Mountain View (19 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,629
Population density	32 / sq mi
State FIPS	15
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	51.57 sq mi
Water area	0.82 sq mi
Latitude	19.7848
Longitude	-155.2106
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	37.2%	39.1%	29.0%
$50k – $100k	38.5%	31.0%	29.8%
$100k – $200k	15.6%	23.6%	29.9%
Over $200k	8.6%	6.3%	11.3%

Demographics & statistics

1,629

Population

People per sq mi

46.7

Median age

$92,188

Median household income

$35,868

Per capita income

$671,300

Median home value

$1,363

Median monthly rent

84.1%

Home ownership

11.3%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

689

Housing units

19.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

106

25–34

103

35–44

45–54

151

55–59

138

60–64

107

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	248	15.2%
18 and over	1,381	84.8%
65 and over	292	17.9%
Median age	46.7 years

Race & ethnicity

Two or more races 44.8%

Asian 25.7%

White 16.2%

Hispanic or Latino 7.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4%

Other race 2%

Group	Count	%
Two or more races	787	44.8%
Asian	451	25.7%
White	285	16.2%
Hispanic or Latino	128	7.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	70	4%
Other race	36	2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.2%	39.1%	29.0%
$50k – $100k	38.5%	31.0%	29.8%
$100k – $200k	15.6%	23.6%	29.9%
Over $200k	8.6%	6.3%	11.3%

Under $10k 3.8%

$15k–$25k 10.1%

$25k–$35k 9.1%

$35k–$50k 7.5%

$50k–$75k 12.7%

$75k–$100k 11.9%

$100k–$150k 26.0%

$150k–$200k 8.4%

$200k+ 10.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.8%
$15k–$25k	10.1%
$25k–$35k	9.1%
$35k–$50k	7.5%
$50k–$75k	12.7%
$75k–$100k	11.9%
$100k–$150k	26.0%
$150k–$200k	8.4%
$200k+	10.5%
Median income	$92,188

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 2.7%

$100k–$150k 3.5%

$150k–$200k 1.5%

$200k–$300k 13.3%

$300k–$500k 21.4%

$500k–$1M 47.9%

$1M+ 9.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$671,300
Median rent / month	$1,363
Owner occupied	84.1%
Renter occupied	15.9%
Vacant	26.5%
Single-family detached	94.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.1%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.84

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	8.1%
2000–2009	8.8%
1990–1999	5.1%
1980–1989	19.4%
1970–1979	9.1%
1960–1969	9.4%
1950–1959	12.7%
1940–1949	9.0%
1939 or earlier	18.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	4.6%
2 bedrooms	13.6%
3 bedrooms	56.5%
4 bedrooms	14.4%
5+ bedrooms	10.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.5%
1 vehicle	30.5%
2 vehicles	14.3%
3 or more	51.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	29.0%
Propane / LP gas	5.8%
Wood	1.6%
Solar	11.9%
No fuel used	51.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	259	45.2%
Cohabiting couple	20	3.5%
Male householder, no spouse	125	21.8%
Female householder, no spouse	169	29.5%
Households with children under 18	131	22.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	243	42.4%
Average household size	2.84

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	42.4%	22.8%
Married	44.6%	44.6%
Separated	0.0%	1.3%
Widowed	1.8%	18.1%
Divorced	11.1%	13.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 8.8%

HS graduate 30.7%

Some college, no degree 31.1%

Associate's degree 8.1%

Bachelor's degree 9.0%

Graduate / professional 10.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.7%
Bachelor's or higher	19.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	21	7.5%
Kindergarten	10	3.6%
Elementary school	114	40.6%
High school	99	35.2%
College / grad school	37	13.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Transportation & utilities 19.0%

Professional & management 14.6%

Education & healthcare 13.8%

Construction 10.4%

Agriculture & mining 10.2%

Public administration 9.6%

Retail trade 7.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.9%

Manufacturing 4.3%

Other services 3.1%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.6%
Service	21.4%
Sales & office	21.6%
Natural resources & construction	12.4%
Production & transportation	19.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	59.5%
Government	26.8%
Self-employed	13.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	63.9%
Carpool	13.8%
Public transit	1.1%
Walk	5.3%
Work from home	14.7%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.9

Poverty

All people 11.3%

Under 18 years 21.1%

18 and over 9.7%

Married-couple families 0.4%

Female-led households 10.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.8%
Retirement income	33.5%
Supplemental Security	8.0%
Cash public assistance	2.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	21.6%
High blood pressure	31.1%
High cholesterol	29.7%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	6.6%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	22.8%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	5.7%
Cancer	5.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.3%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	22.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.9%
Depression	15.4%
Fair or poor health	14.8%
Poor mental health	12.6%
Poor physical health	9.7%
No health insurance	11.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.0%
Visited dentist	63.4%
Cholesterol screening	86.2%
Teeth loss	9.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	174	12.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.8%
Under 18	7.7%
18–64 years	18.7%
65 and over	33.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.4%
Public insurance	45.4%
No insurance	3.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,586	97.4%
Spanish	139	8.8%
Other Indo-European	2	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	115	7.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,467	90.1%
Born in same state	1,447	88.8%
Born in different state	1,133	69.6%
Foreign born	20	1.2%
Naturalized citizen	162	9.9%
Not a US citizen	100	61.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	56	3.4%
French	53	3.3%
Arab	25	1.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	13	0.8%
Dutch	1	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.2%
Internet access	90.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 96781

What city is ZIP code 96781 in?

ZIP code 96781 is primarily assigned to Papaikou, Hawaii.

What county is ZIP code 96781 in?

ZIP code 96781 falls within Hawaii County, Hawaii.

Is ZIP code 96781 mostly owner-occupied?

84% of occupied units in ZIP code 96781 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 96781 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 96781 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 96781 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 96781 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 96781?

The median home value in ZIP code 96781 is $671,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 96781 in?

ZIP code 96781 observes the HST timezone.