Hawaiʻi Island · district
South Hilo
- What this area is
- One of Hawaiʻi Island's districts, as the state's development plan area layer draws it (labeled “SOUTH HILO”). The layer was digitized from paper maps, so its lines are approximate.
- Council districts
- District 1 (Heather L. Kimball); District 2 (Jennifer Kagiwada); District 3 (Dennis Onishi). Districts covering at least 3% of this area's land in the state's council district layer; members as the Office of Elections lists them.
- Planning commission
- The Windward Planning Commission. Source: the county's Planning Commissions page. Its agendas are read from the county's legal notices.
- The council
- The state's GIS layer draws nine Hawaiʻi County Council districts.
- On the ballot
- Councilmember, 9 seats, Tuesday, November 3, 2026. What the ballot decides. This area's ballot, contest by contest.
- ZIP codes it overlaps
- 96710, 96720, 96728, 96781, 96783
What's happening here
From the Ledger's last brief for this area, written Sept. 19, 2026; newer items are listed below.
The Windward Planning Commission meets Oct. 1 on a permit for a new two-story, 30-room hotel on Puʻueo Street and on changes to the zoning conditions for KBXtreme Hilo. [source]
The County Council has before it a change of zone at 283 West Puainako Street in Waiākea that would let the owner split one lot into two; the commission recommended it. [source]
The Ledger's brief, written Sept. 19, 2026 from the records linked (its own dated page). Briefs are written by the Ledger in a session from the records linked in each sentence, and dated. They say what is on the record, in plain words; they do not predict outcomes or take sides. The full list for each area follows below the brief.
Followed here: Vacation rentals and bed-and-breakfasts
See what is on the record near a particular address · New on the record across Hawaiʻi
Every record the Ledger reads that places an item in this district by its tax map key or map point, newest and upcoming first, from all sources at once: county agendas and notices, state boards and the Environmental Notice. The sections below break it down by source.
Public schools
Which school serves an addressConnections PCS Elementary-Middle-High · charter · grades K-12
174 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo · 808.961.3664 · school website · Hilo complex
DeSilva Elementary School Elementary · grades K-6
278 Ainako Avenue, Hilo · 808.974.4855 · school website · Hilo complex
Haaheo Elementary School Elementary · grades K-6
121 Haaheo Road, Hilo · 808.974.4111 · school website · Hilo complex
Hilo High School High · grades 9-12
556 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo · 808.313-5500 · school website · Hilo complex
Hilo Intermediate School Middle · grades 7-8
587 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo · 808.974.4955 · school website · Hilo complex
Hilo Union Elementary School Elementary · grades K-6
506 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo · 808.933.0900 · school website · Hilo complex
Ka Umeke Kaeo PCS Elementary-Middle · charter · grades PreK-8
222 Desha Avenue, Hilo · 808.933.3482 · school website · Waiakea complex
Kalanianaole Elementary and Intermediate School Elementary-Middle · grades K-8
27-330 Old Mamalahoa Highway, Papaikou · 808.964.9700 · school website · Hilo complex
Kapiolani Elementary School Elementary · grades K-6
966 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo · 808.974.4160 · school website · Hilo complex
Kaumana Elementary School Elementary · grades K-6
1710 Kaumana Drive, Hilo · 808.974.4190 · school website · Hilo complex
Ke Ana Laahana PCS Intermediate · charter · grades 7-12
162 Baker Avenue, Hilo · 808.961.6228 · school website · Waiakea complex
Keaukaha Elementary School Elementary · grades K-6
240 Desha Avenue, Hilo · 808.974.4181 · school website · Hilo complex
Waiakea Elementary School Elementary · grades K-5
180 West Puainako Street, Hilo · 808.981.7215 · school website · Waiakea complex
Waiakea High School High · grades 9-12
155 W. Kawili Street, Hilo · 808.974.4888 · school website · Waiakea complex
Waiakea Intermediate School Middle · grades 6-8
200 West Puainako Street, Hilo · 808.981.7231 · school website · Waiakea complex
Waiakeawaena Elementary School Elementary · grades K-5
2420 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo · 808.981.7200 · school website · Waiakea complex
Public schools whose grounds fall in this district, from the State of Hawaiʻi GIS public schools layer, read Nov. 5, 2026: the department's own names, grades, complexes and contact details. Charter schools are marked. Private schools are not listed. Which school serves a particular address is a separate question, answered by the department's attendance areas: look up an address.
Weather and ocean alerts
NWS HonoluluChecking the National Weather Service for alerts in effect…
Ocean water advisories on Hawaiʻi Island
Checking the Department of Health…
Read live when this page opens: the National Weather Service's alerts for the forecast zones covering South Hilo (HIZ027, HIZ053), and the state Department of Health Clean Water Branch's open advisories (brown water, sewage spills, high bacteria) for the island, which the department names by beach or coastline rather than by area. Nothing here is stored or rewritten; each agency's own wording and dates are shown.
State highway lane closures
HDOT roadworkChecking the Department of Transportation's closure schedule…
Read live from the state Department of Transportation's lane closure map layer when this page opens: approved closures on state highways in and near South Hilo (within the area's bounding box, so a closure just outside may appear), from now through the next seven days, in the department's words. County streets are not included. Schedules can change without notice and all work is weather permitting, the department says.
In the Environmental Notice
Every itemFrom the State of Hawaiʻi's Environmental Notice (8 issues read), in its words. An item appears here only when it prints a tax map key that falls in this district.
Before state boards
All state boardsNo state board item read so far prints a tax map key in this district.
From state board agendas the Ledger has read (4 so far), in the agencies' words. An item appears here only when it prints a tax map key that falls in this district.
Before the planning commissions and the Planning Department
All of Hawaiʻi IslandFrom the county's legal notices as published in the local paper, in its words. An item appears here only when it prints a tax map key that falls in this district.
On county agendas
Hawaiʻi IslandFrom the County of Hawaiʻi's agendas the Ledger has read (2 so far), in the county's words; the full list of meetings is on the Hawaiʻi Island page. An item appears here only when it prints a tax map key that falls in this district.
Who lives here, by ZIP code
| ZIP code | People | Households | Median household income | Owner-occupied homes | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96728 | 376 ±100 | 166 ±40 | $67,500 ±$28,572 | 129 of 166 | 51.3 |
| 96781 | 2,073 ±343 | 734 ±124 | $96,400 ±$45,687 | 603 of 734 | 48.8 |
| 96720 | 52,979 ±2,236 | 18,520 ±671 | $80,938 ±$6,646 | 12,320 of 18,520 | 42.8 |
| 96783 | 2,251 ±526 | 600 ±122 | $77,391 ±$29,005 | 379 of 600 | 33.8 |
| 96710 | 162 ±128 | 80 ±56 | n/a | 75 of 80 | 54.3 |
| All of Hawaii County, HI | 205,769 | 74,072 | $78,639 | 54,795 of 74,072 | 44.3 |
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates by ZIP Code Tabulation Area, read through the Census Reporter API. Survey estimates; ± is the 90% margin of error. ZIP code areas do not follow these boundaries, so each row describes the ZIP, not this area.
Who represents this area
All officials- Jennifer Kagiwada (Hawaiʻi County Council, District 2, about 42% of this area)
- Heather L. Kimball (Hawaiʻi County Council, District 1, about 29% of this area)
- Dennis Onishi (Hawaiʻi County Council, District 3, about 26% of this area)
- Kimo C. Alameda (Hawaiʻi County Mayor)
- Matthias Kusch (State Representative, District 1, about 70% of this area)
- Jeanne Kapela (State Representative, District 5, about 20% of this area)
- Sue L. Keohokapu-Lee Loy (State Representative, District 2, about 6% of this area)
- Chris Todd (State Representative, District 3, about 5% of this area)
- Lorraine R. Inouye (State Senator, District 1, about 90% of this area)
- Herbert M. “Tim” Richards III (State Senator, District 4, about 10% of this area)