Makaha Resort Golf Club, 2011
Makaha’s story
Makaha in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
Explore the history →
MakahaHI
Home to 10,066 people, this town lies in Hawaii.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: The Eloquent Peasant · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
10,066
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$394K
Census ACS
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
436
Balanced
Is Makaha a good place to live?
Makaha’s best subject grade is an A for walkability; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Makaha’s average commute is 47 minutes, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town in Hawaii scores lower than Makaha on health. The median household income is $65K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. 15% of the land in Makaha is conserved, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Makaha has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
What makes Makaha stand out
Where Makaha beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Makaha has grown 20% from 2010 to 2020
8,278 counted in 2010 and 9,916 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Makaha grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Makaha is from typical.
Makaha has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listD−Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentDOpen →HealthLess healthy than 91% of U.S. towns; Pali Momi Medical Center 18.8 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.4 of 20; 19.6% of households have no carAOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $394K, 3.7 years of the Urban Honolulu metro’s $106K median household incomeCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 86° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.9; 20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 47 attractions →USS Missouri and 46 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Makaha. Close and well known come first.
Big draw18 mi MuseumUSS Missouri
19 mi MuseumUSS Arizona Memorial
20 mi Stadium & arenaAloha Stadium
30 mi MountainDiamond Head
28 mi BeachWaikīkī
19 mi MuseumUSS BowfinSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Missouri: Camera Operator: EM2 KENNETH D. MEHL (Released to Public), Public domain · USS Arizona Memorial: DoD photo by: PH3(AW/SW) JAYME PASTORIC, USN, Public domain · Aloha Stadium: This photo was taken and originally uploaded by Bobak to English Wikipedia. Uplo, CC BY 3.0 · Diamond Head: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waikīkī: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Bowfin: Max Smith, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Makaha: who provides what
Makaha is unincorporated, so Honolulu County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaiian Electric Co40.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWaipahu-Ewa-Waianae water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHonolulu CountyHonolulu County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Hawaii you can register online up to and including Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHonolulu County ClerkHonolulu County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code9679296792 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Makaha.
HealthD
Makaha stands out in Hawaii and nationally, with more of its adults who worry about having enough food
Among adults in Makaha, 34% feel lonely. No town among the 93 in Hawaii we compare has a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Makaha. Only 3 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Makaha.
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Makaha | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 18% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 45% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
0 better9 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Makaha | HI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.7% | 5.8% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 21.1% | 10.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.7% | 17.3% |
Pali Momi Medical Center
18.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Schools
The schools Makaha’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Waianae High School, with 1,551 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makaha Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 409 | D− |
| Waianae High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,551 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Makaha has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Makaha than in 92% of U.S. communities. 9 flood insurance claims have been paid here since 2008. Expected losses in Makaha break down as 45% from inland flooding and 29% from tsunamis. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Makaha once, in 2008.
92risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTsunamisWildfire
9
paid flood claims since 2008
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Makaha brings mild winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 65° and snow is almost unheard of.
86°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter65–79°
Spring66–80°
Summer70–85°
Fall70–84°
86°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers 15.1% of Makaha
Trails run 0.8 miles in 2 parks and preserves. The concentration of trails for Makaha comes to 0.2 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves locally: 2, covering 7 acres.
15.1%conserved
15.1%
conserved · 537 of 3,549 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Makua Keaau Forest Reserve | — | 4 |
| 2. Makaha Community Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With only 0.8 jobs per working resident, most people in Makaha work out of town
For most workers, Makaha is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. Employers in Makaha added 37 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 436. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (24%), Waianae (7%) and Hilo (6%). The median commute is under 26 miles.
1%work in town
| Makaha | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 3.7% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Makaha1%
Urban Honolulu24%
Waianae7%
Hilo6%
Kailua3%
26 mi
median commute distance
436
jobs based in Makaha
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C
Homes in Makaha sell for about $221K
Homes sold in Makaha spent a median 91 days on the market. Among 93 Hawaii towns, just 7 have a lower share of homes lived in by their owners than Makaha. The town’s midpoint rent stands at $1,868 a month.
$221Kmedian sale price
| Makaha | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,868 a month | $2,017 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
91
days on market
97.9%
sale-to-list price
12
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Makaha
18pages on Makaha
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Makaha
University of Phoenix-HawaiiUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Kapolei12.6 miHawaii Tokai International CollegeCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Kapolei12.6 mi$16,560 tuitionUniversity of Hawaii-West OahuUniversity or college · Public · Kapolei12.8 mi$7,584 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Makaha residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
About Makaha
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Mākaha (Hawaiian for "fierce", or "savage", pronounced [maːˈkɐhə]) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaiʻi, United States. It is a town located along the Pacific coast, west of the Mākaha Valley, and at the foot of Mount Ka'ala in the Wai’anae Mountain Range. It is the last of the leeward towns on Oahu. North of Mākaha there is no development, i.e. no towns, no gas stations, or restaurants. The population of Mākaha was 8,278 at the 2010 census. It is located 35 miles northwest of Honolulu, but is a part of Honolulu County. In the Hawaiian language its name means “fierce” or “savage”, which refers to the group of bandits who were based in the Mākaha Valley. They would …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 20 ft
- Area code
- 808
Makaha’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Makaha.
Makaha ValleyWaianaeMakaha
How the neighbors grade
| Town | HI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makaha | — | — | C | — | — | D |
| Makaha Valley | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Waianae | — | — | B− | — | — | C− |
Makaha and Waianae report no FBI crime data of their own. Makaha, Makaha Valley and Waianae aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Makaha with a neighbor →
Questions about Makaha
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Makaha, HI a good place to live?
Makaha has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Is Makaha, HI expensive?
The typical home is worth about $394,000, 53% below the Hawaii typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.