Housing data for Fern Forest, HI
Fern Forest, HI has an estimated 1,088 residents and 592 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Hawaii County.
10.5% of households rent.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 1,088 (±335)
- Housing units
- 592 (±145)
- Households that rent
- 10.5%
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +38.2%
What stands out in Fern Forest
Median real estate taxes: $342 (±$268) in Fern Forest, lower than in Hawaii County ($1,459).
Median home value: $170,900 (±$47,405) in Fern Forest, lower than in Hawaii County ($519,300).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 0.0% (±9.2 points) in Fern Forest, lower than in Hawaii County (14.0%).
Average commute: 49.1 minutes (±13.9) in Fern Forest, higher than in Hawaii County (27.4 minutes).
Housing in Fern Forest at a glance
- Rent burden: 45.5% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 10.5% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $42,917 median household income
- Home values: $170,900 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,233 median monthly cost with a mortgage (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Property taxes: $342 median real estate taxes a year (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 32.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 11.0% of homes were built before 1980 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 61.5% use no heating fuel
- Commute and cars: 49.1 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +38.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 27.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 8.6% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Fern Forest against Hawaii County, its state and the nation
| Fern Forest | Hawaii County | Hawaii | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,088 (±335) | 205,769 (exact) | 1,445,235 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 592 (±145) | 90,735 (±123) | 567,896 (±229) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 10.5% (±6.5 points) | 26.0% (±1.2 points) | 37.0% (±0.6 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,510 (±$66) | $1,971 (±$23) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $42,917 (±$17,594) | $78,639 (±$2,560) | $100,389 (±$1,121) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $170,900 (±$47,405) | $519,300 (±$16,515) | $839,100 (±$5,924) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $342 (±$268) | $1,459 (±$51) | $2,239 (±$31) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 11.0% (±8.9 points) | 34.1% (±1.5 points) | 50.5% (±0.6 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 49.1 minutes (±13.9) | 27.4 minutes (±0.9) | 26.2 minutes (±0.2) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 78.5% (±10.4 points) | 91.1% (±0.9 points) | 92.0% (±0.3 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 51.4 years (±8.2) | 44.3 years (±0.2) | 40.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Fern Forest covers 12.5 square miles of land, about 87 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Fern Forest has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 787 (±184) | 1,088 (±335) | +38.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 396 (±68) | 592 (±145) | +49.5% | Measurable increase |
| Median home value | $127,500 (±$55,736) | $170,900 (±$47,405) | +34.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $21,875 (±$8,013) | $42,917 (±$17,594) | +96.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $704 (±$247) | $2,233 (±$1,126) | +217.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $383 (±$138) | $342 (±$268) | −10.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 35.6% (±11.1 points) | 10.5% (±6.5 points) | −25.1 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.6% (±9.3 points) | 0.0% (±39.3 points) | −5.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Hawaii County
Fern Forest has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Hawaii County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Hawaii County recorded 287 violent and 1,924 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Fern Forest
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96785 | 17% | 4,433 | $1,217 | $369,000 | $68,463 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Fern Forest
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eden Roc | 3.0 mi | $594 | $164,600 | 9.0% |
| Fern Acres | 4.6 mi | $1,375 | $319,800 | 15.8% |
| Mountain View | 5.9 mi | $1,375 | $356,800 | 26.8% |
| Hawaiian Acres | 7.1 mi | $1,351 | $318,400 | 16.4% |
| Kurtistown | 9.3 mi | $1,406 | $448,600 | 12.1% |
| Ainaloa | 9.8 mi | $1,358 | $228,300 | 17.6% |
| Orchidlands Estates | 10.0 mi | $1,398 | $385,900 | 14.8% |
| Keaau | 12 mi | $827 | $332,900 | 39.1% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for Fern Forest, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,605 | $1,615 | $2,081 | $2,620 | $2,910 |
HUD income limits for Fern Forest, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,450 | $42,350 | $67,800 |
| 2 people | $29,050 | $48,400 | $77,450 |
| 3 people | $32,700 | $54,450 | $87,150 |
| 4 people | $37,950 | $60,500 | $96,800 |
| 5 people | $44,480 | $65,350 | $104,550 |
| 6 people | $51,010 | $70,200 | $112,300 |
| 7 people | $57,540 | $75,050 | $120,050 |
| 8 people | $64,070 | $79,900 | $127,800 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Hawaii County, HI, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $98,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Fern Forest is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Fern Forest
What is the median household income in Fern Forest?
The median household income in Fern Forest is $42,917 (±$17,594) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Fern Forest, HI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $170,900 (±$47,405) for owner-occupied homes in Fern Forest (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Fern Forest?
Fern Forest, HI has an estimated 592 (±145) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Fern Forest?
The most common size is No bedroom (studio), 28.7% of homes in Fern Forest, HI.
What is the most common way to heat a home in Fern Forest?
Most occupied homes in Fern Forest use no heating fuel: 61.5% (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How long is the average commute in Fern Forest?
Workers who live in Fern Forest, HI take an average of 49.1 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Fern Forest growing?
In Fern Forest, the number of residents went from 787 in 2015–2019 to 1,088 in 2020–2024 (+38.2%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in Fern Forest?
The ZIP code that covers Fern Forest is 96785.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 96785?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 96785 is $1,217 (±$322) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fern Forest CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fern Forest CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fern Forest CDP, Hawaii
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fern Forest CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fern Forest CDP, Hawaii
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fern Forest CDP, Hawaii
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fern Forest CDP, Hawaii
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Hawaii County, HI
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Hawaii County, HI
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Fern Forest CDP, Hawaii (place:07675, in state:15).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .