The 10 Worst Small Towns In Hawaii For 2024

Most Americans have never been to small town Hawaii. However, as the Hawaiian who live there know, small town Hawaii is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Hawaii has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Aloha State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 63 of Hawaii’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Hawaii where you’d never want to live:

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Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

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These are the worst small towns in Hawaii for 2024:

1. Hawaiian Beaches
2. Hawaiian Ocean View
3. Mountain View
4. Nanawale Estates
5. Orchidlands Estates
6. Fern Acres
7. Honaunau-Napoopoo
8. Leilani Estates
9. Discovery Harbour
10. Pahoa

So what is the worst small town to call home in Hawaii for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Hawaiian Beaches is the worst small town to live in Hawaii.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Hawaiian Beaches home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Hawaii or the worst places to live in Hawaii.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Hawaii For 2024

1. Hawaiian Beaches

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,879
Median Home Value: $226,436
Median Income: $43,707
Unemployment Rate: 10.9%

2. Hawaiian Ocean View

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,587
Median Home Value: $228,607
Median Income: $36,462
Unemployment Rate: 11.9%

3. Mountain View

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,627
Median Home Value: $330,571
Median Income: $60,057
Unemployment Rate: 8.2%

4. Nanawale Estates

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,666
Median Home Value: $195,282
Median Income: $36,250
Unemployment Rate: 6.5%

5. Orchidlands Estates

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,400
Median Home Value: $290,263
Median Income: $55,700
Unemployment Rate: 11.5%

6. Fern Acres

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,781
Median Home Value: $273,004
Median Income: $48,125
Unemployment Rate: 17.1%

7. Honaunau-Napoopoo

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,764
Median Home Value: $729,566
Median Income: $71,106
Unemployment Rate: 10.5%

8. Leilani Estates

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,611
Median Home Value: $245,649
Median Income: $23,750
Unemployment Rate: 19.2%

9. Discovery Harbour

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,241
Median Home Value: $449,724
Median Income: $61,417
Unemployment Rate: 13.9%

10. Pahoa

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,372
Median Home Value: $274,217
Median Income: $54,486
Unemployment Rate: 8.6%

Next 10 Towns

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Hawaii is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Hawaii, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

• Population Density (The lower, the worse)
• Highest Unemployment Rates
• Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
• Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
• Education (Number of high school dropouts)
• High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 63 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Hawaii.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Hawaii

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Aloha State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Hawaii are Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Ocean View, Mountain View, Nanawale Estates, Orchidlands Estates, Fern Acres, Honaunau-Napoopoo, Leilani Estates, Discovery Harbour, and Pahoa.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Hawaii, according to science:

1. Kaaawa (Pop. 1,259)
2. Maunawili (Pop. 2,067)
3. Heeia (Pop. 4,786)

For more Hawaii reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Hawaii

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Hawaiian Beaches	3,879	10.9%	$226,436	$43,707
2	Hawaiian Ocean View	3,587	11.9%	$228,607	$36,462
3	Mountain View	3,627	8.2%	$330,571	$60,057
4	Nanawale Estates	1,666	6.5%	$195,282	$36,250
5	Orchidlands Estates	2,400	11.5%	$290,263	$55,700
6	Fern Acres	1,781	17.1%	$273,004	$48,125
7	Honaunau-Napoopoo	2,764	10.5%	$729,566	$71,106
8	Leilani Estates	1,611	19.2%	$245,649	$23,750
9	Discovery Harbour	1,241	13.9%	$449,724	$61,417
10	Pahoa	1,372	8.6%	$274,217	$54,486
11	Ainaloa	3,832	9.7%	$233,925	$48,534
12	Pepeekeo	1,462	8.5%	$498,337	$51,471
13	Haliimaile	1,077	9.3%	$866,014	$64,440
14	Kaunakakai	3,553	6.1%	$423,014	$67,083
15	Pahala	1,897	19.6%	$281,702	$59,432
16	Kualapuu	2,157	5.7%	$254,007	$46,711
17	Kurtistown	2,896	8.0%	$378,166	$80,625
18	Wailua	2,438	8.2%	$720,122	$67,258
19	Kalaeloa	2,971	7.6%	$0	$82,188
20	Paia	2,211	12.9%	$1,157,518	$113,750
21	Kaumakani	1,498	1.9%	$0	$82,652
22	Captain Cook	4,135	6.5%	$702,292	$120,323
23	Kapaau	1,972	5.4%	$613,302	$65,076
24	Honokaa	2,290	4.7%	$621,600	$70,819
25	Anahola	2,853	6.2%	$541,883	$88,667
26	Keokea	2,872	8.7%	$774,398	$113,450
27	Hawaiian Acres	3,484	5.4%	$341,173	$74,851
28	Papaikou	1,096	5.6%	$544,436	$87,639
29	Kealakekua	2,188	1.9%	$763,296	$78,646
30	Hanamaulu	4,628	6.6%	$669,321	$74,511
31	Kekaha	3,149	2.0%	$531,353	$70,375
32	Kahuku	2,274	12.2%	$812,906	$71,758
33	Olinda	1,018	2.9%	$1,181,027	$93,125
34	Kilauea	3,386	4.1%	$1,545,119	$85,227
35	Wainaku	1,023	4.8%	$495,098	$62,880
36	Koloa	2,281	9.5%	$1,163,130	$72,143
37	Hawi	1,383	13.7%	$1,058,271	$77,589
38	Holualoa	3,083	5.0%	$947,155	$90,385
39	Lanai City	3,174	2.4%	$754,739	$80,464
40	Wheeler Afb	2,219	8.6%	$0	$74,844
41	Keaau	1,290	0.5%	$444,355	$79,821
42	Whitmore Village	3,909	3.5%	$766,365	$96,136
43	Waialua	3,053	5.9%	$942,384	$87,266
44	Hauula	3,593	6.9%	$845,532	$108,800
45	Hanapepe	2,242	6.5%	$765,087	$88,385
46	Lawai	2,902	12.2%	$894,454	$99,138
47	Mokuleia	1,782	3.6%	$981,512	$83,688
48	Puhi	3,961	2.8%	$611,898	$118,676
49	Waimea Cdp (Kauai County)	1,951	4.8%	$564,678	$95,972
50	Kaanapali	1,227	21.4%	$1,706,302	$119,044
51	Omao	1,414	7.7%	$993,995	$87,656
52	Kalaheo	4,651	3.3%	$988,710	$95,625
53	Princeville	2,007	5.3%	$1,260,978	$82,250
54	Mahinahina	1,116	4.1%	$1,173,429	$155,278
55	Waimanalo Beach	4,475	4.8%	$835,294	$104,643
56	Poipu	1,085	2.3%	$1,212,832	$134,028
57	Haleiwa	4,708	4.3%	$1,543,444	$92,173
58	Waikapu	3,887	2.6%	$816,081	$117,500
59	Eleele	2,255	2.0%	$795,367	$107,734
60	Ko Olina	1,871	3.0%	$848,538	$122,614
61	Kaaawa	1,259	3.9%	$880,554	$130,257
62	Maunawili	2,067	2.1%	$1,395,740	$169,375
63	Heeia	4,786	2.1%	$1,221,951	$143,214