Papaikou, HI · standard
ZIP Code 96781
Hawaii County, Hawaii - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,670
- 16/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $96,400
- Median income Above-median income area
- $828,500
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 26.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Papaikou pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 21%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 4%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 16
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 96781 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 96781 covers 104.4 square miles in Papaikou, Hawaii County, Hawaii (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,670 residents on file, a density of 16 people per square mile, in the Pacific/Honolulu time zone.
ZIP 96781 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $96,400 (4% above the average Hawaii ZIP), while per-capita income is $43,867. The poverty rate is 10.4%, with unemployment at 2.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $828,500 (7% above the average Hawaii ZIP) and median rent is $1,500; 82.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 26.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.8, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Hawaii County, so 96781 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 96781, Papaikou, HI · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,670
Population
104.4
Area (sq mi)
16
People / sq mi
Pacific/Honolulu
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 96781?
48.8
Median Age
54.9%
Male
45.1%
Female
6.8%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$96,400
Median Household Income
+4% vs state ZIP avg
$43,867
Per Capita Income
10.4%
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 96781 ranks among Hawaii ZIPs
Papaikou, HI household income vs. every Hawaii ZIP code
Median household income among 83 reporting Hawaii ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$96,400 Top 46% higher than 54% of 83 Hawaii ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Hawaii ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
900housing units
900
Total Housing Units
734
Occupied Units
166
Vacant Units
2.82
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$828,500
Median Home Value
+7% vs state ZIP avg
$1,500
Median Rent
1977
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 14 business establishments in ZIP 96781, employing approximately 91 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,446,000.
14
Businesses
91
Employees
$5.4M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 5 | 35.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 96781 vs 96783 →
ZIP 96781 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 96720
Hilo (96720)
46,165 residents
- 96783 2,060
Pepeekeo (96783)
2,060 residents
- 96781 1,670
Papaikou (96781)
1,670 residents
- 96764 799
Laupahoehoe (96764)
799 residents
- 96710 613
Hakalau (96710)
613 residents
- 96728 610
Honomu (96728)
610 residents
- 96773 210
Ninole (96773)
210 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 96781 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 96781 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 96781
Papaikou (96781)
$96,400 median income
- 96720
Hilo (96720)
$80,938 median income
- 96783
Pepeekeo (96783)
$77,391 median income
- 96728
Honomu (96728)
$67,500 median income
- 96773
Ninole (96773)
$65,179 median income
- 96764
Laupahoehoe (96764)
$55,769 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 96781 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 96781, both outside HI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,670 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Hawaii County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 96781 in?
ZIP code 96781 (Papaikou) is located in Hawaii County, Hawaii. Hawaii County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/hawaii-hi.
What is the population of ZIP code 96781?
ZIP code 96781 in Papaikou, HI has a population of 1,670 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 96781?
The median household income in ZIP 96781 is $96,400, which is 26% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 96781?
The median home value in ZIP 96781 is $828,500, which is 198% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 96781?
The largest racial group in ZIP 96781 is Two or More Ethnicities at 45.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 96781?
ZIP code 96781 has 14 business establishments employing approximately 91 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 96781?
In ZIP code 96781, 52.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 96781?
In ZIP code 96781, approximately 82.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 96781?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 96781 is 10.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 96781's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 96781 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Papaikou, HI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.