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Moving to
Kapolei.
Kapolei is an unincorporated community in Honolulu County, HI. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Kapolei
Kapolei is an unincorporated community in Hawaii with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Kapolei deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
How Kapolei compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kapolei
Based on Kapolei's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,622
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $92,440 a year
- 58% of Kapolei renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$148,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $74,420
- Homes cost 5.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 64% above US
$2,311/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,311 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $744,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $744,200 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Honolulu County is 2.3%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Honolulu County (county-wide)
Safety
181 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Kapolei doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Honolulu Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1459/100k · Policed by Honolulu Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.2 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 66°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 17% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Honouliuli National Historic Site (4 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Kapolei's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,311/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Kapolei
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