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ZIP code

96778

in Pahoa, HawaiiPopulation 15,262

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

40.26/ 100

Ranked #26,572 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 17%)

Ranked #91 of 92 Hawaii ZIPs (bottom 1.1%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Broad coverage across health domains

What defines this ZIP

Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.

Natural-disaster risk

in the top 0.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US99th
Definition & source ›

This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a Superfund site

223.9 mi

in the top 0.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

10 per million

in the bottom 2.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST26th
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.

Full methodology ›

Self-care disability

7.1%

in the top 5.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

35.4%

in the top 4.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Vision disability

9.4%

in the top 6.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.

Full methodology ›

Stroke

5.8%

in the top 5.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

Food insecurity

30.8%

in the top 5.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Unemployment rate

12.1%

in the top 6.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.

Full methodology ›

Lack of transportation

14.4%

in the top 7.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

The read

Pahoa, Hawaii (ZIP 96778), by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 17% nationally (26,572nd) and the bottom 1.1% of Hawaii (91st), based on limited data; treat as directional.

continue reading

The data points to real strain across a number of measures here: modeled disaster risk lands in the top 0.2% nationally, modeled self-care disability is in the top 5.4% nationally, and poverty resides in the top 4.3% nationally. Modeled vision disability rests in the top 6.3% nationally, stroke lies in the top 5.3% nationally, and food insecurity sits in the top 5.6% nationally. Unemployment settles in the top 6.3% nationally, and modeled transportation registers in the top 7.3% nationally. On the brighter side, distance to a Superfund site stands in the top 0.8% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the bottom 2.8% nationally.

Held up against its neighbors, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 96749, just across the boundary.

What’s driving this score

Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Lifting this score

Environmental HazardPartial

in the top 0.00%

14%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 88%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 24%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 3%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 11%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 8%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 35%

8%

Disability

healthier than 7%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 37%

5%

“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›

Findings that name this ZIP

One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.

  • Above what income predicts

    The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes

    Estimated life expectancy is 80.6 ± 3.0 years. A median household income of $39,750 predicts 76.4 years — 4.2 years above.

    Ranked #162 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.

Nearby & similar ZIPs

Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.

How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured

Evidence

Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.

Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults31.5%28.8–34.4
High blood pressure among adults35.8%32.7–39.1
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.4%7.7–9.1
Current asthma among adults12.2%10.9–13.6
Coronary heart disease among adults9.8%8.9–10.8
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.1%10.0–12.3
Depression among adults22.9%20.1–26.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults15.8%14.2–17.7
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened36.3%33.1–39.8
Obesity among adults34.0%29.0–39.5
Stroke among adults5.8%5.4–6.2
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years16.2%13.6–19.1
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.0%7.9–10.4
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.0%74.2–79.7
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults74.8%71.6–77.9
Cholesterol screening among adults78.6%76.5–80.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years59.9%55.6–63.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults55.1%51.6–58.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years68.8%62.1–74.6
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults17.1%14.9–19.6
Current cigarette smoking among adults21.5%19.2–24.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults28.5%25.0–32.4
Short sleep duration among adults40.5%35.7–45.2
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults28.9%26.3–31.5
Frequent mental distress among adults18.6%16.7–20.5
Frequent physical distress among adults19.1%17.3–21.0
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults18.8%17.0–20.8
Any disability among adults39.8%36.3–43.5
Hearing disability among adults10.4%9.4–11.6
Independent living disability among adults12.6%11.4–13.8
Mobility disability among adults20.4%18.4–22.5
Self-care disability among adults7.1%6.5–7.7
Vision disability among adults9.4%8.7–10.2
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults29.5%26.6–32.9
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults30.8%28.3–33.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults31.8%28.9–35.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults18.5%16.6–20.7
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults14.4%13.0–16.0
Loneliness among adults31.0%27.8–34.7
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults12.6%11.2–14.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)HI median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate35.4%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.6% (5.2–19.8%) n=86
Uninsured 18–6410.5%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.0% (1.1–10.4%) n=86
No HS diploma (25+)8.5%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.2% (1.5–11.7%) n=90
Bachelor's or higher (25+)20.1%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50531.6% (16.3–48.7%) n=90
Unemployment rate (16+)12.1%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.5% (1.9–11.7%) n=89
Households without a vehicle5.9%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.1% (0.0–11.0%) n=86
Broadband subscription88.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32292.5% (84.3–96.6%) n=86
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)35.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32235.3% (21.1–49.6%) n=86
Homeownership rate79.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32268.1% (46.6–84.7%) n=86
Crowded housing (>1 per room)7.2%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3227.6% (3.1–16.2%) n=86
Foreign-born population9.2%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,55312.5% (5.0–27.3%) n=90
Single-parent households50.7%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08754.6% (41.2–64.3%) n=86
Population 65+25.7%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55322.2% (12.9–29.5%) n=90
Median age47.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.8 yr (33.4–51.3) n=90
Median household income$39,750$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$93,346 ($62,869–$124,659) n=83
Median home value$273,800$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$811,050 ($388,170–$1,090,410) n=82
Median gross rent$1,293$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,820 ($1,216–$2,442) n=80
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)HI median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth80.6 yr ± 1.5378.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30881.0 yr (78.3–85.4) n=84

About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 1.53 years of 80.6, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

More ZIPs to explore ▾

How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured