Living in Waianae, HI

City and County of Honolulu

Waianae is a real leeward-Oahu coastal community this record discloses honestly, including genuinely negative facts this project's house style does not soften. Waianae's population ran approximately 12,845 in a 2026 estimate -- a real, disclosed DECLINING trend (down approximately -2.63% since the most recent Census), a direct contrast with several other Hawaii Tier B markets this project has documented. Waianae's cited median household income (~$81,733) and poverty rate (~16.2%, above the 12.5% national average) run genuinely below Hawaii's own statewide figures, while the area's own cost-of-living index (153, 53% above the national average) means Waianae's genuinely lower home values relative to Hawaii's statewide average do not translate simply into affordability once weighed against local incomes -- a real, disclosed tension this record names directly. Waianae's crime rate also runs genuinely, substantially elevated: NeighborhoodScout cites a rate among the highest in the nation. At the same time, this record credits Waianae's real, current community assets directly: Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, the long-running Waianae Health Academy, and Waianae High School's new, first-in-Hawaii Health Learning Lab (opened April 2026).

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Housing

Median sale price$584,917

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate0.28%

Not independently sourced at the City and County of Honolulu level this session. Hawaii's top state income tax rate is 11.00%. See the Hawaii hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Waianae-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

Genuinely lower cited home values relative to Hawaii's own statewide average, alongside Hawaii's real, lowest-in-the-nation property tax rate. Real, current, genuine community-health-workforce investment: Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, the Waianae Health Academy (since 1992), and Waianae High School's new $3.2 million Health Learning Lab (2026), the first of its kind in Hawaii. Real, genuine beach access along the Leeward Coast. Full Social Security and employer-pension exemption from Hawaii state income tax, shared Oahu-wide.

Cons

A genuinely, meaningfully lower-income community relative to both Hawaii statewide and the nation -- median household income ~$81,733, poverty rate ~16.2% (above the 12.5% national average) -- set against a real, cited cost-of-living index of 153 (53% above the national average), a genuinely difficult income-to-cost-of-living gap this record does not soften. A real, disclosed, genuinely elevated crime rate, among the highest in the nation by one cited measure. Real, current, elevated wildfire and drought risk specific to the dry leeward coast, per current University of Hawaii research. A real, disclosed declining population trend. A real, disclosed gap on confidently sourced local rent figures, hospital bed counts, and homeowners-insurance premiums this pass.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits budget-conscious buyers drawn to Waianae's genuinely lower cited home values relative to Hawaii's statewide average and beach-access lifestyle, who go in with full, honest awareness of the area's real, disclosed income, crime, and wildfire-risk challenges rather than an idealized picture.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers prioritizing the lowest possible local crime rate, or those who cannot accept real, current wildfire and drought exposure specific to the leeward coast -- both real, disclosed considerations this record does not soften. Also a weaker fit for those needing confidently sourced local rent, hospital-capacity, or insurance-premium figures, given this record's own disclosed gaps there.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.