Census-designated place · Hawaii
Puako, Hawaii
Puako, census-designated place, in Hawaii County, Hawaii. Puako had 267 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 259 (±69). GEOID 1565150.
Residents, 2020 Census
267
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 259 ±69
Median household income
$122,813
±$28,148 (90% margin)
Hawaii: $100,389
Median home value
$1,267,900
±$629,624 (90% margin)
Hawaii: $839,100
Median gross rent
$1,813
±$853 (90% margin)
Hawaii: $1,971
Where is Puako and what county is it in?
Puako is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Hawaii County, Hawaii. It covers 3.2 square miles of land, 83 residents per square mile in 2020.
Puako is in the Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Puako, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 267 residents in Puako, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 259 (±69).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Puako is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Puako | Hawaii County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 259 ±69 | 205,769 | −649 |
| Households | 139 ±39 | 74,072 | −307 |
| Average household size | 1.86 ±0.26 | 2.74 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 270 ±58 | 90,735 | −2,126 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Puako?
The median resident of Puako is 66.4 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.6%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 12.4%.
| Measure | Puako | Hawaii County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 66.4 ±4.7 | 44.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 7.3% ±5.0 pts | 20.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 53.7% ±11.0 pts | 23.8% | – |
| Male | 50.2% ±7.6 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5% ±1.7 pts | 11.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 77.6% ±9.5 pts | 29.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±11.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 12.4% ±8.3 pts | 20.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±1.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±2.3 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.6% ±4.0 pts | 24.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±2.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.6% ±5.5 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.6% ±4.3 pts | 22.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 13.3% ±6.2 pts | 7.3% | – |
| With a disability | 18.9% ±7.3 pts | 16.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.2% ±4.1 pts | 4.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.7% ±2.7 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 53.7% ±10.2 pts | 31.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 21.6% ±8.3 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.6% ±6.9 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.6% ±4.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Puako earn?
Half of Puako's 139 households earn less than $122,813 a year (±$28,148), against $78,639 in Hawaii County and $100,389 in Hawaii. In 2015-2019 it was $131,353 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Puako | Hawaii County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $122,813 ±$28,148 | $78,639 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $165,382 ±$70,466 | $106,719 | – |
| Per capita income | $93,196 ±$35,455 | $39,739 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.6% ±8.1 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.8% ±31.5 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 2.9% ±3.0 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.7% ±5.6 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.7% ±5.6 pts | 91.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Puako?
Owners occupy 69.8% of Puako's occupied homes and renters 30.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $1,267,900 by its owner (±$629,624). The median renter pays $1,813 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Puako | Hawaii County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $1,267,900 ±$629,624 | $519,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,813 ±$853 | $1,510 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.2% ±31.7 pts | 40.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $4,000 or more | $2,157 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.8% ±14.3 pts | 74.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 30.2% ±14.3 pts | 26.0% | – |
| Housing units | 270 ±58 | 90,735 | −2,126 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.9% ±6.3 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 17.6% ±23.5 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 84.4% ±6.5 pts | 77.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±1.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.1% ±6.4 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.1% ±3.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Puako work and get to work?
61.0% of Puako's workers drive alone and 31.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.6 minutes.
| Measure | Puako | Hawaii County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 39.7% ±12.0 pts | 56.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 16.3% ±13.5 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 61.0% ±18.6 pts | 68.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±31.5 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±31.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±31.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 31.7% ±16.4 pts | 12.1% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.6 min ±4.0 | 27.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Puako?
No census tract lies mostly in Puako; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 217.08Hawaii County | 4,475 | $105,417 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Puako) · Census block assignment files
How does Puako compare with other places in Hawaii?
Puako is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Puako's figures with every place in Hawaii (CSV)
Every place in Hawaii, sortable · Compare Puako with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Puako?
27 of the 57 figures for Puako on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Puako are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.