Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Urban Honolulu is a city of 345,482, and it grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns. It is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns and it is among the most walkable places in the country. The trade-offs: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and the typical home is worth about $775K, 7.3 years of the Urban Honolulu metro’s $106K median household income. 76% of working residents work locally in Urban Honolulu, above both Hawaii’s towns (3.6%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Iolani Palace and Palm Circle Historic District. Only 10 of Hawaii’s 125 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where Urban Honolulu beats most towns.
Iolani Palace| College | Students |
|---|---|
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | 17,664 |
| Hawaii Pacific University | 3,928 |
| Kapiolani Community College | 2,836 |
Iolani Palace is one of 4 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 93 National Register listings are more than in 0% of Hawaii towns with a listing.
The archive holds 5 maps from 1953 on.
Explore the history →Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Urban Honolulu is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for hazard risk (better than 13%), so the C+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Urban Honolulu. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi MuseumUSS Missouri
in town MountainDiamond Head
in town BeachWaikīkī
7 mi MuseumUSS Arizona Memorial
6 mi Stadium & arenaAloha Stadium
in town LandmarkNational Memorial Cemetery of the PacificUSS Missouri: Camera Operator: EM2 KENNETH D. MEHL (Released to Public), Public domain · Diamond Head: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waikīkī: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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 · National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific: Cleared as filed at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Urban Honolulu 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 Urban Honolulu.
Urban Honolulu has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Hawaii.
106 miles of trail in 92 parks and preserves. Urban Honolulu’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Round Top Forest Reserve, 8,265 acres with 40.4 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Round Top Forest Reserve | 40.4 mi | 8,265 |
| 2. Honolulu Forest Reserve | 14.4 mi | 4,772 |
| 3. Sand Island State Recreation Area | 2.1 mi | 146 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Hawaii Department of Education school district. Three of its 86 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaimuki Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,019 | A |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,094 | B− |
| Nuuanu Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 314 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Since 1978, 370 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Urban Honolulu.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Within Hawaii it is less healthy than 52% of the 93 graded towns: Hawaii sets a high bar.
48% of Urban Honolulu adults sleep under 7 hours. Urban Honolulu beats the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 14% of Urban Honolulu adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 45% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 27% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Urban Honolulu | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average 63.1°, milder than in 100% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 79°.
Urban Honolulu has warm winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Urban Honolulu is 63°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 63°F | 64°F | 22°F |
| July high | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 21,021 to 15,297 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Urban Honolulu’s property crime rate is 13.8 per 1,000 residents, above U.S. towns (9.9).
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.8 per 1,000 residents | – | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | – | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Jobs based in Urban Honolulu grew to 283,818 in 2023, 43,294 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Pearl City (2%), Kapolei (2%) and Waipahu (2%). Half commute less than 3 miles.
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 8.1% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Children under 18 are 17% of residents (21% statewide). Only 8 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Urban Honolulu. 22% of residents are 65 or older in Urban Honolulu.
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 43 years | 41.2 years | 40.5 years |
50.1% women, 49.9% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±0.4 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women. Median age: women 44.1, men 41.9.
| Urban Honolulu | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.5% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.5% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.8% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.8% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.2% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.9% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.6% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Urban Honolulu home is worth about $775,000, up 2.3% in a year, 7% below the Hawaii typical home. Only 9 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Urban Honolulu.
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,823 a month | $2,017 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 55% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
11 within 15 miles of the center of Urban Honolulu
About 8 of every 100 Urban Honolulu residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
7 colleges in town.
93 places in Urban Honolulu on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 towns share a border with Urban Honolulu.
| Town | HI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu | #1 | C+ | C− | C+ | — | A− |
| East Honolulu | — | — | D | — | — | A |
| Hickam Housing | — | — | D− | — | — | A |
| Halawa | — | — | C− | — | — | B+ |
East Honolulu, Hickam Housing and Halawa report no FBI crime data of their own. East Honolulu, Hickam Housing and Halawa aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Urban Honolulu with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Urban Honolulu grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns. It grades A− for health and C+ for safety. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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