Pahala, Big Island

Pahala at a Glance

Pahala is a small community located at the heart of Kau district, Hawaii County’s biggest district. The name Pahala takes its root from the practice of sugar workers to cover cracks in the field with hala leaves before burning them. In the Hawaiian language, Pahala means “ashes of leaves from the hala tree.”

Geographically, this plateau-community is situated on a mountain slope at an elevation of 920 feet above sea level. During its early days as a sugar town, Pahala was just plantation homes, a small store, manager’s home and a sugar mill. Today, the barely 1- square mile town offers a bounty of beautiful shores and lush mountains. It has Victorian-style restaurants, boutiques, shops, bars, and a golf course with a breathtaking view of the ocean and the surrounding mountains.

Based on the latest July 2007 census data survey, 1,599 people called Pahala their home. Asians, especially Filipinos (32.2%) and Japanese (11.3%), represent the largest racial group in Pahala. As nearly numerous are people from two or more races, who comprise 32.5% of the community. Pacific Islander (10.4%), Caucasians (8.6%), and Hispanic (6.3%) also represent a good number in the community. Pahala had a population density of 1,898 people per square mile.

Like majority of Hawaii’s communities, Pahala used to be a sugar plantation town. Sugar industry built the town’s economy from the 19th century up to its demise in 1996. Today, Pahala’s main agricultural products include macadamia nuts, Ka’u coffee, and flowers. Ranching and tourism are two other important industries that contribute to the town’s economy. In 2007, Pahala’s average household income had increased from $30,243 in 1999 to $44,900 in 2007. However, 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line.

Pahala’s zip code is 96777.

Pahala in Bullet Points

Pahala Location

Pahala Map (top)

Pahala Weather (top)

Now
66°F
Windchill:
66°F
Mostly Cloudy
Location: Pahala, HI, US
Wind: 8 mph SW
Humidity: 43%
Visibility: 0.07 mi
Pressure: 30.24 in steady
Sunrise: 6:28 am
Sunset: 6:32 pm Thu
Hi: 77°F
Low: 63°F
Partly Cloudy
Fri
Hi: 76°F
Low: 63°F
Scattered Showers