ZIP Code 96796 — Waimea CDP, HI Demographics & Data

ZIP code 96796 covers Waimea, HI in Kauai County with a population of about 2,070.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 49.7 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 96796 is about $87,222 — about 16% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 7.7%; unemployment rate near 3.8%; 26.3% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 7.4 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Construction, Food services, and Healthcare; about 4.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 10.3 points below 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 $573,900 — about 65% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,410 (about 21% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 44.9% (about 20.5 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 96796 in Waimea, HI, a household would need roughly $158,000 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 $3,687. That is about 81% above the local median household income ($87,222), 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 Waimea CDP, HI as Relatively Moderate (composite score 84.4), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (93.1) and flood (90.6). 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 Waimea CDP, HI show little to no average snow and around 57.3 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 100 for ZIP 96796 (Waimea 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.