Housing data for Keaau, HI
Keaau, HI has an estimated 1,436 residents and 523 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Hawaii County.
39.1% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $827 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−45.0%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 1,436 (±332)
- Housing units
- 523 (±107)
- Households that rent
- 39.1%
- Median gross rent
- $827
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −45.0%
What stands out in Keaau
Median real estate taxes: $556 (±$146) in Keaau, lower than in Hawaii County ($1,459).
Median gross rent: $827 (±$333) in Keaau, lower than in Hawaii County ($1,510).
Renters paying 30% or more of income: 23.1% (±12.5 points) in Keaau, lower than in Hawaii County (51.6%).
Households that rent: 39.1% (±10.6 points) in Keaau, higher than in Hawaii County (26.0%).
Housing in Keaau at a glance
- Median rent: $827 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,607 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 23.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 39.1% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $85,000 median household income
- Home values: $332,900 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,651 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $556 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 6.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 78.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 53.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 62.1% use no heating fuel
- Commute and cars: 29.9 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −45.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 17.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 13.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Keaau against Hawaii County, its state and the nation
| Keaau | Hawaii County | Hawaii | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,436 (±332) | 205,769 (exact) | 1,445,235 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 523 (±107) | 90,735 (±123) | 567,896 (±229) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 39.1% (±10.6 points) | 26.0% (±1.2 points) | 37.0% (±0.6 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $827 (±$333) | $1,510 (±$66) | $1,971 (±$23) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $85,000 (±$26,032) | $78,639 (±$2,560) | $100,389 (±$1,121) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $332,900 (±$27,895) | $519,300 (±$16,515) | $839,100 (±$5,924) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $556 (±$146) | $1,459 (±$51) | $2,239 (±$31) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 53.2% (±14.6 points) | 34.1% (±1.5 points) | 50.5% (±0.6 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 29.9 minutes (±7.4) | 27.4 minutes (±0.9) | 26.2 minutes (±0.2) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 84.5% (±8.2 points) | 91.1% (±0.9 points) | 92.0% (±0.3 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 43.3 years (±8.4) | 44.3 years (±0.2) | 40.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Keaau covers 6.3 square miles of land, about 227 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Keaau has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,613 (±451) | 1,436 (±332) | −45.0% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 907 (±121) | 523 (±107) | −42.3% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $1,141 (±$281) | $827 (±$333) | −27.5% | Down after inflation |
| Median home value | $338,900 (±$45,790) | $332,900 (±$27,895) | −1.8% | Down after inflation |
| Median household income | $65,521 (±$11,178) | $85,000 (±$26,032) | +29.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,811 (±$141) | $1,651 (±$343) | −8.8% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,002 (±$155) | $556 (±$146) | −44.5% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 29.1% (±8.7 points) | 39.1% (±10.6 points) | +10.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±11.9 points) | 0.0% (±15.9 points) | 0.0 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
Keaau 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 Keaau
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96749 | 11% | 19,132 | $1,290 | $442,200 | $85,399 |
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 Keaau
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurtistown | 3.0 mi | $1,406 | $448,600 | 12.1% |
| Hilo | 5.0 mi | $1,427 | $483,000 | 33.9% |
| Orchidlands Estates | 5.1 mi | $1,398 | $385,900 | 14.8% |
| Hawaiian Paradise Park | 5.5 mi | $1,310 | $457,100 | 26.3% |
| Hawaiian Acres | 6.3 mi | $1,351 | $318,400 | 16.4% |
| Ainaloa | 7.9 mi | $1,358 | $228,300 | 17.6% |
| Fern Acres | 8.2 mi | $1,375 | $319,800 | 15.8% |
| Hawaiian Beaches | 9.5 mi | $1,658 | $272,700 | 14.9% |
Places in Hawaii most like Keaau
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepeekeo | $750 | $463,400 | $70,625 | 41.5% |
| Kaunakakai | $879 | $368,100 | $76,131 | 39.8% |
| Kealakekua | $965 | $643,600 | $102,772 | 30.9% |
| Pahoa | $599 | $375,900 | $56,042 | 22.5% |
| Hilo | $1,427 | $483,000 | $81,779 | 33.9% |
| Papaikou | $1,495 | $434,300 | $79,079 | 29.5% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Hawaii.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Keaau, 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 Keaau, 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.
Keaau 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 Keaau
What is the average rent in Keaau, HI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Keaau is $827 (±$333) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How many renters are there in Keaau?
Keaau has an estimated 187 (±64) renting households, 39.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Keaau?
The median household income in Keaau is $85,000 (±$26,032) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Keaau, HI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $332,900 (±$27,895) for owner-occupied homes in Keaau (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Keaau?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Keaau, HI is $1,651 (±$343) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Keaau?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Keaau, HI is $556 (±$146) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Keaau growing?
In Keaau, the number of residents went from 2,613 in 2015–2019 to 1,436 in 2020–2024 (−45.0%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Keaau?
The ZIP code that covers Keaau is 96749.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 96749?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 96749 is $1,290 (±$171) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Keaau CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Keaau CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Keaau CDP, Hawaii
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Keaau CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Keaau CDP, Hawaii
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Keaau CDP, Hawaii
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Keaau 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 Keaau CDP, Hawaii (place:32900, 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 .