Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 345,482 people, this city lies in Hawaii.
Some subjects shine; others lag. Its weakest subject is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $775K, 7.3 years of the Urban Honolulu metro’s $106K median household income. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Walkability is its strong suit (A+). It is strong on health as well (A−): CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of three quarters of the country. The overall grade comes out at C+, better than just over two fifths of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Iolani Palace and Palm Circle Historic District. Only 10 of Hawaii’s 125 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places · USGS PAD-US.
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.
The biggest place to walk is Round Top Forest Reserve, 8,265 acres with 40.4 miles of trail. Count the trails in 92 parks and preserves and they come to 106 miles. The density of trails for Urban Honolulu comes to 1.6 miles per square mile.
| 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
The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Below: Three of its 86 schools, each with why it was picked. The 6 public schools in Urban Honolulu teach 3,707 students between them.
| 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. 57% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 31%.
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.
For adults in Urban Honolulu, the share who have diabetes is 13%. Among adults here, 48% sleep under 7 hours, above both the Hawaii town median (45%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). 14% of adults locally have been diagnosed with depression; 24% have obesity.
| 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°.
Its January low stands at 63°F, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 64°F and U.S. towns at 22°F. Also worth knowing: the July high locally is 79°F. Snow almost never falls.
| 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 offense rate stands at 13.8 per 1,000 residents, above U.S. towns (9.9). Its level of violent crime stands at 1.7 per 1,000 residents, close to U.S. towns (1.6).
| 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
In Urban Honolulu, 12% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Pearl City (2%), Kapolei (2%) and Waipahu (2%). The town’s average commute is 22 minutes. It had 283,818 jobs in 2023, up 43,294 from 2013.
| 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
Among residents in Urban Honolulu, 17% are under 18. Children under 18 are 17% of residents (21% statewide). 42% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 36% across Hawaii.
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 31% | 29% |
| 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
Only 9 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of homes lived in by their owners than Urban Honolulu. For Urban Honolulu, the midpoint rent is $1,823 a month. Homes locally are typically worth about $775,000, up 2.3% in a year, 7% below the Hawaii typical home. On the market locally: a median 86 days to sell.
| 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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