Area guides

Big Island areas, compared on the data.

On Hawaiʻi Island, elevation, rainfall, water source and lava zone can change within a few miles. Here are twelve areas side by side. Each guide covers the land, the climate, the water and the drive, with sources.

Side-by-side comparison

Medians across each area's 2020 Census boundary · checked October 22, 2026
Area	Median elevation	Elevation (5th–95th pct)	Median rain / yr	Mean temp	USGS lava zones	Typical drive to KOA
Kailua-Kona	264 ft	16–1,124 ft	31 in	74 °F	4	~14 min / 7.4 mi
Keauhou	517 ft	28–1,215 ft	39 in	73 °F	4	~28 min / 14.4 mi
Hōlualoa	3,241 ft	1,095–5,808 ft	45 in	63 °F	4	~24 min / 11.8 mi
Kealakekua & Captain Cook	2,036 ft	354–3,850 ft	53 in	67 °F	3 and 4	~32 min / 17.1 mi
Kona Palisades & Kalaoa	349 ft	20–1,442 ft	19 in	73 °F	4	~5 min / 2.3 mi
Waikoloa Village	646 ft	225–1,027 ft	11 in	73 °F	3 and 8	~37 min / 24.1 mi
Kohala Coast	49 ft	6–137 ft	9 in	75 °F	3 and 8	~33 min / 20.8 mi
Waimea (Kamuela)	2,894 ft	2,382–3,494 ft	39 in	64 °F	8 and 9	~58 min / 36.2 mi
North Kohala (Hāwī & Kapaʻau)	640 ft	177–1,481 ft	58 in	72 °F	9	~68 min / 45.2 mi
Hilo	349 ft	16–1,529 ft	153 in	71 °F	3 and 8	~111 min / 75.9 mi
Puna	1,376 ft	70–4,029 ft	135 in	68 °F	1, 2 and 3	~134 min / 91.5 mi
Kaʻū & Ocean View	2,179 ft	740–4,543 ft	31 in	67 °F	1 and 2	~92 min / 53.4 mi

Elevation: USGS 3DEP 30 m DEM. Rain: Rainfall Atlas of Hawaiʻi (UH Mānoa, 2013). Temperature: Climate of Hawaiʻi (UH Mānoa, 2014). Lava zones: USGS hazard-zone map via the Hawaiʻi Statewide GIS Program. Zones vary by parcel. Drive: OSRM/OpenStreetMap routing, light traffic, from a named point in each area. Area boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 CDPs/CCDs, which don't match MLS or neighborhood boundaries exactly. The Kaʻū row shows Ocean View; the area guide also covers the full district.