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
Home to 950 people, the town was 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
.jpg){kind=link}
-L1004709.jpg){kind=link}
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
For Punaluu, the FEMA risk score is 98 of 100. FEMA puts 53% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to tsunamis, and 41% to inland flooding.
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
This Hawaii town had 53 jobs in 2023, down 125 from 2013. For Punaluu, the typical journey to work is 32 minutes. Among residents locally, 17% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (29%), Hilo (5%) and Waipahu (5%).
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
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
For adults in Punaluu, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 49%. This Hawaii town does better than the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 9. Only 4 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Punaluu. In Punaluu, nearly a fifth of adults binge drink, and 18% have been diagnosed with depression.
| 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
In Punaluu, the age of the median resident is 37.6 years. People 65 and older are 16% of residents (20% statewide); children under 18 are 25% of residents (21% statewide). The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 30%, against 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
In Punaluu, 6.4% of the land is conserved
1.0 miles of trail. Punaluu’s trail density comes in at 0.5 miles per square mile.
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 $302K at the median
The midpoint rent for Punaluu comes to $2,029 a month. In Punaluu, 53% of households live in a home they own.
$302Kmedian 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 |
1
homes sold in September
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.