ZIP Code 96781 — Papaikou CDP, HI Demographics & Data

ZIP code 96781 covers Papaikou, HI in Hawaii County with a population of about 1,993.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 46.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 808; U.S. House district HI-2; the HONOLULU media market.

Median household income in ZIP 96781 is about $94,083 — about 25% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 9.6%; unemployment rate near 2.7%; 23.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.1 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Transportation, Public administration, and Retail trade; about 16.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (roughly in line with the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $787,700 — about 126% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,243 (about 7% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 83.4% (about 18.0 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 96781 in Papaikou, HI, a household would need roughly $217,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $5,060. That is about 131% above the local median household income ($94,083), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Papaikou CDP, HI as Relatively High (composite score 98.5), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (98.9) and wildfire (98.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Papaikou CDP, HI show little to no average snow and around 120.4 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 97 for ZIP 96781 (Papaikou CDP, HI) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.