Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,679.
Pupukea’s best subject grade is an A for walkability; its weakest is a D− for cost of living. Puu o Mahuka Heiau is on the National Register of Historic Places. Pupukea 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).
Where Pupukea beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
4,551 counted in 2010 and 5,130 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Pupukea is from typical.
Pupukea 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).
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 5 maps from 1952 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Pupukea is unincorporated, so Honolulu County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Pupukea.
Pupukea’s mean commuting time comes in at 37 minutes. Only 5% of working residents stay in Pupukea for work; the rest commute out. Also worth knowing: jobs based in Pupukea grew to 578 in 2023, 110 more than in 2013. In Pupukea, 15% of residents live below the poverty line, against 9.5% in Hawaii’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
| Pupukea | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 37 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $100,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 3.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its one school is below. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Enrollment at Pupukea’s public school: 359 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Beach Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 359 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Pupukea has had 14 paid flood insurance claims since 2012. On expected storm and flood damage, Pupukea sits above 85% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 44% come from inland flooding and 24% from tsunamis.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The share of adults in Pupukea who report frequent mental distress: 18%. Against the Hawaii average, Pupukea comes out ahead on 4 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 11. In Pupukea, just over a fifth of adults binge drink, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 16%. Two figures for adults here: 47% sleep under 7 hours, 21% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Pupukea | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 45% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Pupukea | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.6% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults lacking emotional support | 26.8% | 30.1% |
| More adults with depression | 20.8% | 16% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 62° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Pupukea’s trail density stands at 0.2 miles per square mile. 1.3 miles of trail wind through 3 parks and preserves.
| Pupukea | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.4% | 12% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunset Beach Neighborhood Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Pupukea-Paumalu Forest Reserve | — | 3 |
| 3. 'Ehukai Beach Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
In Pupukea, nearly a quarter of residents are 65 or older. By age, Pupukea looks like Hawaii: each broad group is within 4 points. A bachelor’s degree or higher: 34% of adults 25 and older, vs 36% across Hawaii.
| Pupukea | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 31% | 29% |
45% women, 55% men
About 124 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.8 points). Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 75% are men (HI 43%).
| Pupukea | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.7% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.3% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.4% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.2% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.5% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 25% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.6% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.5% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.7% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,700, single groups can be off by several points
For households in Pupukea, the share who own their home is 61%. In Pupukea, the typical rent is $1,979 a month.
| Pupukea | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,979 a month | $2,017 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pupukea. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi MuseumUSS Missouri
21 mi MuseumUSS Arizona Memorial
21 mi Stadium & arenaAloha Stadium
31 mi MountainDiamond Head
30 mi BeachWaikīkī
9 mi MuseumPolynesian Cultural CenterUSS 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
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pupukea
About 7 of every 100 Pupukea residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Hawaii.
Where Pupukea’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Pūpūkea (Hawaiian pronunciation: [puːpuːˈkɛjə]) is a community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Koʻolauloa District on the island of Oʻahu, City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. In Hawaiian, pūpūkea means "white shell". As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 5,130. The Koʻolauloa District ends at Waimea Bay, with the Waialua District extending south and westward. Pūpūkea is a popular area on Oʻahu's North Shore for living and for visiting. The best known surfing sites of Velzyland, Sunset (at Sunset Beach Park), Kammieland, Pūpūkea, ʻEhukai, Pipeline (these latter two off adjacent ʻEhukai Beach Park and Banzai Beach) and lesser breaks are arrayed off this sho…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Pupukea.
| Town | HI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupukea | — | — | D− | — | — | B+ |
| Haleiwa | — | — | D | — | — | B+ |
| Kawela Bay | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Pupukea and Haleiwa report no FBI crime data of their own. Pupukea, Haleiwa and Kawela Bay aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Pupukea with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pupukea 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).
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,436,000, 72% above 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 D−.
.jpg){kind=link}
-L1004709.jpg){kind=link}
