Mauna Loke (Rose Mont) in ca. 1880, c. 1880
Waimanalo’s story
Waimanalo in pictures
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1952 on.
Explore the history →
WaimanaloHI
A town of 6,054 in Hawaii.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: The original uploader was Tijuana Brass at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
6,054
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.09M
+3.7% in a year
Household income
$117K
median
Median age
35.2
years
Jobs based here
773
A job hub
Is Waimanalo a good place to live?
Waimanalo’s best subject grades are an A for walkability and an A− for the outdoors; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. Waimanalo’s January low is 65°F, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 64°F and U.S. towns at 22°F. On hazard risk, just 9 of Hawaii’s 125 towns do better. 62% of the land in Waimanalo is conserved, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Waimanalo 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).
What makes Waimanalo stand out
Where Waimanalo beats most towns.
A growing town
Waimanalo has grown 11% from 2010 to 2020
5,451 counted in 2010 and 6,057 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Waimanalo grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Waimanalo is from typical.
Waimanalo 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).
WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.3 of 20; 1.6% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC−Open →Cost of livingWeaker than most of the towns comparedC−Open →HealthAdventist Health Castle 3.2 miles awayC+Open →Jobs & incomeAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 85° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.2; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 48 attractions →USS Missouri and 46 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waimanalo. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi MuseumUSS Missouri
8 mi MountainDiamond Head
14 mi MuseumUSS Arizona Memorial
13 mi Stadium & arenaAloha Stadium
8 mi BeachWaikīkī
8 mi LandmarkNational Memorial Cemetery of the PacificSources: 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 · Diamond Head: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 · Waikīkī: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific: Cleared as filed at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
-L1004709.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Waimanalo: who provides what
Waimanalo is unincorporated, so Honolulu County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaiian Electric Co40.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHnl-Windward-Pearl Harbor 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 code9679596795 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 Waimanalo.
OutdoorsA−
Open space protected for good: nearly a third of Waimanalo
6.2 miles of trail. Waimanalo’s concentration of trails is 1.4 miles per square mile.
62%conserved
62%
conserved · 1,726 of 2,785 acres
6.2 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Waimanalo’s kids attend
The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Waimanalo’s public school: 344 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waimanalo Elementary & Intermediate SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 344 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Waimanalo has 2.6 jobs for every working resident, and 772 people commute in
Among 93 Hawaii towns, just 8 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Waimanalo. The typical household income in the town is $117,000. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (10%), Hilo (8%) and Kapolei (6%). 15% of residents live below the poverty line locally.
0%work in town
| Waimanalo | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $117,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.3% | 3.7% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Waimanalo0%
Urban Honolulu10%
Hilo8%
Kapolei6%
Kailua4%
30 mi
median commute distance
773
jobs based in Waimanalo
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Waimanalo faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected losses in Waimanalo break down as 74% from inland flooding and 13% from earthquakes. For Waimanalo, the risk rating from FEMA is 77 of 100. Federal aid has come to Waimanalo households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2026.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
21
paid flood claims since 1980
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade C−
The typical home in Waimanalo is valued at about $1.09M
The going rate for rent for Waimanalo comes to $1,764 a month. Typical home values rose 3.7% in the year to September 2026. Among households here, 74% own their home.
$1.09MZillow home value
| Waimanalo | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,764 a month | $2,017 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Waimanalo$1.09M
Hawaii$833K
+3.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
The climate in Waimanalo brings mild winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 65° and snow is almost unheard of.
85°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter66–78°
Spring69–80°
Summer74–84°
Fall72–84°
85°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Waimanalo are less healthy than three in five U.S. towns
Two figures for adults in Waimanalo: 24% worry about having enough food, 23% say their health is fair or poor. The town does better than the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 15. In Waimanalo, 52% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Only 9 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Waimanalo.
41%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Waimanalo | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 45% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better16 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Waimanalo | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.1% | 6.7% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 16.3% | 10.9% |
Adventist Health Castle
3.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
14th
percentile among HI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Waimanalo
18pages on Waimanalo
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
8 within 15 miles of the center of Waimanalo
Chaminade University of HonoluluUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Honolulu6.2 mi$30,874 tuitionUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaUniversity or college · Public · Honolulu6.5 mi$12,186 in-state tuitionKapiolani Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Honolulu6.6 mi$3,284 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Waimanalo residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Hawaii.
A job hub
Every workday, about 772 people come to Waimanalo for work
Where Waimanalo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
773jobs based in Waimanalo
0%of working residents work in town
30 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Waimanalo
8 notable people were born in Waimanalo.
H
Hugh HoglandJapanese-American basketball player · born 1998T
Tyson NamMixed martial artist · born 1983About Waimanalo
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Waimānalo (Hawaiian pronunciation: [vɐjmaːˈnɐlo] ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the District of Koʻolaupoko, in the City & County of Honolulu, on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii, United States. This small windward community is near the eastern end of the island. Waimānalo means "potable water"; it is so named for the many brackish ponds in the area that were used for irrigation. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 6,057. About 1000 meters east of Waimānalo is the neighborhood of Waimānalo Beach. Waimānalo has a small commercial center along Kalanianaʻole Highway, but is separated from the shoreline and Waimānalo Beach (the longest stretch of sandy shoreline on Oʻahu) by …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 30 ft
- ZIP code
- 96795
- Area code
- 808
Waimanalo’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Waimanalo.
Waimanalo BeachKailuaWaimanalo
How the neighbors grade
| Town | HI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waimanalo | — | — | C− | — | — | C+ |
| Waimanalo Beach | — | — | B+ | — | — | B− |
| Kailua | — | — | D | — | — | A |
Waimanalo, Waimanalo Beach and Kailua report no FBI crime data of their own. Waimanalo, Waimanalo Beach and Kailua aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Waimanalo with a neighbor →
Questions about Waimanalo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Waimanalo, HI a good place to live?
Waimanalo 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).
Is Waimanalo, HI expensive?
Yes. That is 10.3 years of the area's median household income ($106,195 across the Urban Honolulu, HI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.