Known as the “second city” of Oahu, Kapolei ranks on the list for the second year in a row. It delivers the same paradisial feel of Honolulu but without the chaos and high-rises of a big city. While Kapolei is well developed, it’s more isolated and spread out, thus making it more family-friendly.
That leaves all the more room for natural beauty, on display at the area’s many beaches. Nimitz Beach glitters with sea glass, ideal for walking and relaxing, while locals love to catch a wave at White Plains. There are also enough championship courses to fulfill a golfer’s dreams—Kapolei Golf Club, Ko’Olina Golf Club, and Coral Creek Golf Course among them. The city is home to several community and neighborhood parks, ideal for picnicking and playing sports, as well as the state’s only water park: Wet ’n’ Wild Hawaii.
Kapolei has invested in the community’s health care and wellness, with two major hospitals in the city (and more within a 25-mile radius) as well as a variety of other specialized health services such as an adult day care and a nursing facility with an Alzheimer’s unit.
As is true for much of Hawaii, Kapolei is a more expensive place to live. The typical median household earns $116,174, and the typical home sells for $770,982, per Attom. But residents’ Sharecare financial well-being score is high, at 63 out of 100, and their community well-being sits at 73 out of 100.
Just over 20,000 reside in this more remote part of the island, but the population is growing rapidly, having increased by over 258% in the past 13 years, and the city expects this trend to continue, projecting a population of nearly 165,000 by 2035.
Town Information
| Median sale price for single family residences (2022) | $770,982 |
| Median household income | $116,174 |
| Racial and ethnic makeup of current residents | Asian: 34.9%, Black: 2.5%, Hispanic: 12.5%, White: 10.9% |
| Racial and ethnic makeup of U.S. | Asian: 5.9%, Black: 12.3%, Hispanic: 19.7%, White: 61.2% |
| High school district graduation rate (averages of districts were applied when necessary) | 84.99% |
| Number of hospitals within 25 miles recommended by over 50% of patients | 8 |
| Number of above-average nursing homes within 50 miles, per 100,000 households | 15 |
| Sharecare Community Well-Being Index Score (out of 100) | 74 |
| Financial Well-Being Index Score (out of 100) | 64 |
Sources: ATTOM, U.S Census Bureau, Healthgrades, Caring.com, Sharecare, National Center for Education Statistics, Kaiser Family Foundation
