Living in Captain Cook, HI

Hawaii County

Captain Cook is South Kona's real, historic Kona-coffee-belt town, named for the British explorer whose real, historic death is marked by the Captain Cook Monument at nearby Kealakekua Bay. The town's real, current economy centers directly on the genuine Kona coffee industry, alongside a real, disclosed commuter relationship with Kailua-Kona (roughly 15-20 miles north). Housing runs genuinely, substantially above the national comparison figure (a cited median sale price of approximately $735,000, up 5.2% year-over-year, with the nearby Kealakekua sub-area running even higher at approximately $1.0 million). Captain Cook's senior (65+) population share runs a genuinely above-threshold approximately 27.1% (2020 Census) -- above both Hawaii's statewide and national comparison figures. This record discloses Captain Cook's volcanic-hazard profile with genuine specificity: while the town sits roughly 45-plus miles from Kilauea's active summit (a real, disclosed lower exposure to that specific hazard than the island's east side), South Kona itself -- including Captain Cook -- sits within the mapped USGS Lava Flow Hazard Zone 2, tied to Mauna Loa's own active southwest rift zone, a real, distinct, disclosed risk this record names specifically rather than assuming distance from Kilauea means zero lava risk.

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Housing

Median sale price$735,000

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate0.53%

Not independently sourced at the Hawaii County level this session. Hawaii's top state income tax rate is 11.00%. See the Hawaii hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Captain Cook-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

A real, historic, genuinely distinctive Kona-coffee-belt identity and economy, with real, favorable proximity to Kailua-Kona for broader employment and amenities. A genuinely close, in-district hospital option (Kona Community Hospital, 94 beds, full-service acute care) -- a real, disclosed favorable contrast with several other Big Island Tier B markets. A cited median household income (~$124,551) running notably above Hawaii's statewide median. A genuinely low effective property tax rate (this record's own calculation: ~0.54% on a representative home). Hawaii's real Social Security and employer-pension income-tax exemptions apply here as statewide.

Cons

Genuinely, substantially expensive housing (a cited median sale price of ~$735,000, with the nearby Kealakekua sub-area running even higher). A real, disclosed, locally relevant volcanic-hazard dimension: South Kona's own mapped USGS Lava Flow Hazard Zone 2 status, tied to Mauna Loa's active rift zone -- a real, disclosed risk this record does not soften even though Captain Cook sits genuinely far from Kilauea itself. A real, disclosed gap in confidently sourced, current Captain-Cook-specific crime-rate and homeowners-insurance-premium data this record does not paper over. Hawaii's real, statewide 11% top income-tax rate and high cost of living both apply here as everywhere in the state.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits retirees and movers genuinely drawn to South Kona's rural, historic coffee-country character and favorable proximity to Kailua-Kona's broader amenities and Kona Community Hospital, who can afford Captain Cook's genuinely elevated housing costs and have weighed its real, disclosed Lava Flow Hazard Zone 2 status directly.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers needing the Big Island's most affordable housing -- Captain Cook's own cited median sale price runs well above the national comparison figure and above several other Hawaii Tier B markets this project has documented (e.g. Pahoa). Those needing confidently sourced, dated crime statistics or who are highly risk-averse to any lava-flow-hazard-zone exposure should also weigh this record's disclosed data gaps and South Kona's Zone 2 status directly.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.