Papaikou is a community in Hawaii County, Hawaii, home to about 1,332 people across 1.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 96781.
Homes sold for a median of $746 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Papaikou. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Papaikou’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA)62 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Hilo International Airport (ITO)6 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Urban Honolulu, HI207 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Papaikou; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Papaikou had 1,166 residents in the 2020 census, down 18% since 2000.
It’s the 114th largest of 163 towns in Hawaii by population.
Hawaii County grew from 46,843 residents in 1900 to 200,629 in 2020.
Hawaii County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 64°F. About 120.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hilo Intl Ap, HI weather station (6 miles away).
54,716 jobs at 4,400 businesses in Hawaii County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Papaikou.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Hawaii Department of Education. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Jonah Kalanianaole Elementary SchoolPapaikou | Pre-K–6 | 183 | Public | 0.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.