The Town Files

Nanakuli, Hawaii

Community in Honolulu County · population 12,195 (2020 Census)

Map: where Nanakuli is in HawaiiNanakuli
Median home
$488,600
Household income
$86,597
Jan low / Jul high
65° / 85°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
36.7

Nanakuli is a community of 12,195 people in Honolulu County, Hawaii. The median home is worth $488,600, below the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). It ranks better transit than 81% of Hawaii towns.

Nanakuli in our rankings:

How Nanakuli ranks

Percentile among Hawaii towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Hawaii towns.

Nanakuli lifestyle rankings vs other Hawaii townsRetirement8th pctFamilies26th pctQuiet28th pctWalkability69th pctFirst-time buyers52nd pctYoung professionals16th pctVibrancy58th pctHip & trendy5th pctCollege town42nd pctUpscale7th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character51st pctCycling56th pctTransit81st pctDriving22nd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Nanakuli is worth $488,600, below the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $86,597, which is more affordable than 86% of Hawaii towns. Median rent is $1,690 a month. 67.4% of households own their home.

Nanakuli vs Honolulu County vs typical Hawaii townNanakuliHonolulu CountyTypical Hawaii townHome value$488,600$897,500$802,600Household income$86,597$106,195$95,243Monthly rent$1,690$2,083$1,931
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Hawaii towns with 500+ people.
HousingNanakuliTypical Hawaii town
Median home value$488,600$802,600
Median rent$1,690$1,931
Median household income$86,597$95,243
Home value ÷ income5.6×7.7×
Homeownership67.4%71.0%
Median year built19771983
Seasonal / vacation homes1.7%—

Who lives in Nanakuli

PeopleNanakuliTypical Hawaii town
Median age36.742.2
Age 65 and over15.1%21.1%
Under 1827.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher10.8%30.4%
Below the poverty line18.2%10.1%
Veterans8.4%—
Born outside the U.S.8.9%—
Work from home6.6%8.1%
Average commute35.3 min29.1 min
Homes with broadband94.3%93.2%

Weather in Nanakuli

July highs average 85.0°F and January lows 64.8°F. About 21.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Hawaii town: 0.0 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Nanakuli monthly temperatures and precipitation60°70°80°90°79°65°Jan78°64°Feb79°65°Mar80°66°Apr82°68°May83°69°Jun85°70°Jul86°70°Aug85°70°Sep85°70°Oct82°69°Nov80°67°DecPrecipitation (in)3.22.32.71.41.60.80.50.70.91.92.53.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Makaha Ctry Club 800.3 station (6.6 mi away); snow from Waianae 798 (3.5 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Nanakuli since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Hawaii town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on April 23, 2015 about 8.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 23, 2015.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Nanakuli by decade01950s11960s01970s11980s01990s22000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on March 23, 2023.

Severe weather in Honolulu County since 1996

Storm events in Honolulu County since 1996 by typeFlood85Drought149Wildfire79High Surf1,434High Wind88Lightning12Heavy Rain571Waterspout13
NOAA Storm Events Database, Honolulu County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 14 deaths recorded.

Honolulu County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tsunami.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 7, 2026HurricaneDR-4951: Hurricane Lala
September 25, 2026Tropical StormEM-3654: Tropical Storm Nolo
April 7, 2026FloodDR-4909: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
August 19, 2025FireFM-5609: Kunia Road Fire
February 15, 2022Severe StormDR-4639: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides

Jobs and pay in Honolulu County

Honolulu County had 453,193 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,851 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Nanakuli itself the ACS puts it at 11.2%.

Largest industries in Honolulu CountyHotels & restaurants63,590 jobs · $42,145Health care & social assistan…56,169 jobs · $76,763Retail41,501 jobs · $44,589Construction27,772 jobs · $95,804Administrative & support25,813 jobs · $51,512Transportation & warehousing22,587 jobs · $83,123
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Honolulu County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Honolulu 2.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Nanakuli

Nanakuli questions

Is Nanakuli, Hawaii a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Nanakuli scores better for retirees than 8% of Hawaii towns and quieter than 28%. 15.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.7).

How much does a house cost in Nanakuli?

The median owner-occupied home in Nanakuli is valued at $488,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $86,597, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $1,690 a month.

What is the weather like in Nanakuli?

July highs average 85.0°F and January lows 64.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 21.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Nanakuli get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Nanakuli since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on April 23, 2015. The typical Hawaii town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Nanakuli's Census boundary (GEOID 1553900). Comparisons use the median of Hawaii towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.