Beach house, palm trees, the Pacific Ocean, Punaluu, Oahu, 1996
Punaluu’s story
123 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1996 and 5 maps from 1954 on.
- 1903Punaluu is settled
PunaluuHI
A town of 950, settled in 1903.
Population
950
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$888K
Census ACS
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
37.6
years
Jobs based here
53
A commuter town
Is Punaluu a good place to live?
Punaluu’s January low is 66°F, close to Hawaii’s towns (64°F) and above U.S. towns (22°F). Punaluu has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A growing town
Punaluu has grown 18% from 2010 to 2020
1,164 counted in 2010 and 1,374 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Nearby attractions
All 47 attractions →USS Missouri and 46 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Punaluu. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi MuseumUSS Missouri
16 mi MuseumUSS Arizona Memorial
15 mi Stadium & arenaAloha Stadium
23 mi MountainDiamond Head
22 mi BeachWaikīkī
4 mi MuseumPolynesian Cultural CenterSources: 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 · Polynesian Cultural Center: Gh5046 at en.wikipedia, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Punaluu: who provides what
Punaluu is unincorporated, so Honolulu County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaiian Electric Co40.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPunalu'u water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% 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 code9671796717 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 Punaluu.
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Punaluu, with tsunamis at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities.
98risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TsunamisInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Punaluu’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Punaluu for work: only 0% work in town. At 32 minutes, Punaluu’s average trip to work is above both the Hawaii town median (28 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). 17% of Punaluu residents live below the poverty line.
0%work in town
| Punaluu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 13% | 8.1% | 11% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Punaluu0%
Urban Honolulu29%
Hilo5%
Waipahu5%
Wailuku4%
22 mi
median commute distance
53
jobs based in Punaluu
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Punaluu has mild winters and pleasant summers
Punaluu has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 66° and snow is almost unheard of.
85°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter67–79°
Spring69–80°
Summer74–84°
Fall73–83°
85°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Punaluu is
Punaluu beats the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 49% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Punaluu. Only 4 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Punaluu.
| Punaluu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 45% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 27% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better22 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Punaluu | HI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 70.2% | 62.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.6% | 6.7% |
Kahuku Medical Center
7.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Younger than Hawaii overall
People 65 and older are 16% of residents (20% statewide); children under 18 are 25% of residents (21% statewide). Punaluu’s median age is 37.6 years. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Hawaii.
37.6median age · HI 40.9
| Punaluu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.6 years | 41.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 20% | 18% |
PunaluuHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school34%
Some college24%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 41% and 63% women
The Census survey reached too few of Punaluu’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.7 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Punaluu | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.2% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.6% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.4% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.4% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.7% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.7% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.3% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.2% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.6% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.2% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.3% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.1% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Outdoors
Punaluu has set aside 6.4% of its land for conservation
1.0 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
6.4%conserved
| Punaluu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.4% | 12% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
6.4%
conserved · 85 of 1,322 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in Punaluu sells for about $588K at the median
The median rent in Punaluu is $2,029 a month.
$588Kmedian sale price
| Punaluu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $2,029 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Punaluu
16pages on Punaluu
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Punaluu
Brigham Young University-HawaiiUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Laie4.8 mi$6,630 tuitionWindward Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Kaneohe13 mi$3,194 in-state tuitionLeeward Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pearl City14.4 mi$3,214 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Punaluu residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Hawaii.
Small town
950 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
HauulaPunaluu
Questions about Punaluu
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Punaluu, HI a good place to live?
Punaluu has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.