The 10 Worst Small Towns In Hawaii For 2025

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 64 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 2025:

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

So what is the worst small town to call home in Hawaii for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Nanawale Estates 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 Nanawale Estates 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 2025

1. Nanawale Estates

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,440
Median Home Value: $222,300
Median Income: $24,980
Unemployment Rate: 10.8%

2. Hawaiian Ocean View

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,809
Median Home Value: $239,200
Median Income: $45,917
Unemployment Rate: 16.5%

3. Mountain View

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,833
Median Home Value: $350,400
Median Income: $63,882
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%

4. Hawaiian Beaches

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,503
Median Home Value: $247,500
Median Income: $42,154
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%

5. Pahoa

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,430
Median Home Value: $312,500
Median Income: $55,903
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

6. Fern Acres

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,714
Median Home Value: $267,400
Median Income: $49,554
Unemployment Rate: 17.3%

7. Leilani Estates

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,415
Median Home Value: $237,300
Median Income: $23,177
Unemployment Rate: 20.3%

8. Discovery Harbour

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,198
Median Home Value: $431,700
Median Income: $64,286
Unemployment Rate: 13.8%

9. Pepeekeo

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,505
Median Home Value: $415,600
Median Income: $52,276
Unemployment Rate: 9.7%

10. Orchidlands Estates

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,180
Median Home Value: $334,500
Median Income: $70,996
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%

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 2019-2023 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 – 64 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 2025, 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 Nanawale Estates, Hawaiian Ocean View, Mountain View, Hawaiian Beaches, Pahoa, Fern Acres, Leilani Estates, Discovery Harbour, Pepeekeo, and Orchidlands Estates.

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

1. Kaaawa (Pop. 1,259)
2. Ko Olina (Pop. 1,677)
3. Maunawili (Pop. 2,288)

For more Hawaii reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Hawaii

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Nanawale Estates	1,440	10.8%	$222,300	$24,980
2	Hawaiian Ocean View	3,809	16.5%	$239,200	$45,917
3	Mountain View	3,833	6.2%	$350,400	$63,882
4	Hawaiian Beaches	4,503	6.1%	$247,500	$42,154
5	Pahoa	1,430	6.7%	$312,500	$55,903
6	Fern Acres	1,714	17.3%	$267,400	$49,554
7	Leilani Estates	1,415	20.3%	$237,300	$23,177
8	Discovery Harbour	1,198	13.8%	$431,700	$64,286
9	Pepeekeo	1,505	9.7%	$415,600	$52,276
10	Orchidlands Estates	3,180	7.4%	$334,500	$70,996
11	Honaunau-Napoopoo	2,554	5.2%	$724,200	$75,884
12	Haliimaile	1,096	12.4%	$830,500	$81,250
13	Ainaloa	3,493	8.4%	$222,300	$51,757
14	Wailua	2,544	8.7%	$697,300	$68,548
15	Kalaeloa	3,229	11.3%	$1,000	$81,833
16	Honalo	1,057	1.9%	$578,800	$65,000
17	Kualapuu	2,357	6.6%	$258,900	$52,500
18	Kaunakakai	3,721	4.9%	$335,200	$76,944
19	Paia	2,629	11.3%	$881,100	$120,735
20	Kurtistown	2,928	7.0%	$441,200	$78,750
21	Pahala	1,785	12.9%	$216,600	$71,908
22	Keaau	1,210	2.2%	$320,000	$64,688
23	Kealakekua	1,989	1.6%	$574,600	$79,332
24	Halaula	1,049	5.1%	$534,300	$65,694
25	Captain Cook	3,751	6.2%	$642,500	$124,551
26	Kekaha	3,482	3.1%	$516,800	$73,011
27	Kahuku	2,425	13.2%	$769,100	$73,214
28	Hawaiian Acres	4,123	3.8%	$309,100	$79,808
29	Keokea	3,049	7.4%	$749,100	$119,464
30	Wainaku	1,082	4.4%	$532,400	$72,188
31	Koloa	2,327	10.1%	$873,900	$76,316
32	Kilauea	3,104	2.5%	$1,011,000	$86,382
33	Anahola	3,098	3.7%	$524,900	$96,207
34	Kaumakani	1,361	1.0%	$1,000	$89,637
35	Kapaau	2,029	3.2%	$577,600	$74,583
36	Papaikou	1,325	4.2%	$431,100	$80,972
37	Hanamaulu	4,360	6.3%	$634,700	$80,094
38	Lanai City	3,283	2.3%	$547,400	$79,405
39	Pupukea	4,853	7.0%	$1,331,800	$98,771
40	Whitmore Village	3,821	4.0%	$776,200	$102,155
41	Hawi	1,720	6.3%	$662,500	$85,197
42	Waialua	3,015	5.5%	$942,300	$84,656
43	Waimea Cdp (Kauai County)	2,070	3.8%	$573,900	$87,222
44	Holualoa	2,825	4.2%	$1,056,500	$109,444
45	Honokaa	2,353	3.1%	$551,800	$85,556
46	Kaanapali	1,216	18.4%	$1,767,400	$134,375
47	Omao	1,429	9.6%	$946,400	$87,308
48	Hauula	3,473	4.1%	$915,800	$113,571
49	Lawai	2,775	10.5%	$853,700	$104,826
50	Hanapepe	2,288	8.5%	$736,000	$90,319
51	Mokuleia	1,684	2.6%	$989,100	$83,571
52	Waimanalo Beach	4,587	4.4%	$816,500	$120,769
53	Princeville	1,794	5.9%	$1,215,000	$106,938
54	Haleiwa	4,671	3.0%	$1,081,100	$93,977
55	Kalaheo	4,612	3.7%	$899,300	$105,605
56	Wheeler Afb	2,196	7.9%	$1,000	$88,409
57	Mahinahina	1,051	4.9%	$1,153,700	$161,875
58	Puhi	4,381	1.6%	$654,600	$132,645
59	Waikapu	3,645	2.3%	$837,700	$121,618
60	Eleele	2,339	1.8%	$684,900	$122,308
61	Poipu	1,418	1.3%	$1,115,300	$138,864
62	Kaaawa	1,259	2.6%	$966,500	$132,188
63	Ko Olina	1,677	1.0%	$885,500	$125,577
64	Maunawili	2,288	2.2%	$1,404,800	$176,528