The Town Files

Makakilo, Hawaii

Community in Honolulu County · population 19,877 (2020 Census)

Map: where Makakilo is in HawaiiMakakilo
Median home
$867,200
Household income
$118,550
Jan low / Jul high
65° / 88°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
6
Median age
36.6

Makakilo is a community of 19,877 people in Honolulu County, Hawaii. The median home is worth $867,200, above the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). It ranks better for families than 93% of Hawaii towns, more of a college town than 91% of Hawaii towns, more walkable than 79% of Hawaii towns.

Makakilo in our rankings:

How Makakilo 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.

Makakilo lifestyle rankings vs other Hawaii townsRetirement19th pctFamilies93rd pctQuiet14th pctWalkability79th pctFirst-time buyers61st pctYoung professionals58th pctVibrancy71st pctHip & trendy12th pctCollege town91st pctUpscale76th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit60th pctDriving50th 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 Makakilo is worth $867,200, above the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). Homes cost about 7.3 times the median household income of $118,550, which is more affordable than 59% of Hawaii towns. Median rent is $2,276 a month. 77.6% of households own their home.

Makakilo vs Honolulu County vs typical Hawaii townMakakiloHonolulu CountyTypical Hawaii townHome value$867,200$897,500$802,600Household income$118,550$106,195$95,243Monthly rent$2,276$2,083$1,931
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Hawaii towns with 500+ people.
HousingMakakiloTypical Hawaii town
Median home value$867,200$802,600
Median rent$2,276$1,931
Median household income$118,550$95,243
Home value ÷ income7.3×7.7×
Homeownership77.6%71.0%
Median year built19871983
Seasonal / vacation homes1.5%—

Who lives in Makakilo

PeopleMakakiloTypical Hawaii town
Median age36.642.2
Age 65 and over13.9%21.1%
Under 1827.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher36.3%30.4%
Below the poverty line9.2%10.1%
Veterans13.4%—
Born outside the U.S.14.2%—
Work from home10.7%8.1%
Average commute32.8 min29.1 min
Homes with broadband96.0%93.2%

Weather in Makakilo

July highs average 88.0°F and January lows 64.7°F. About 13.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Hawaii town: 0.0 in). Expect about 31 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Makakilo monthly temperatures and precipitation60°70°80°90°81°65°Jan81°65°Feb82°66°Mar84°68°Apr85°69°May87°71°Jun88°73°Jul89°73°Aug89°72°Sep87°72°Oct84°69°Nov82°67°DecPrecipitation (in)1.41.81.90.61.00.30.30.60.71.31.82.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Ewa Kalaeloa Ap station (3.0 mi away); snow from Campbell Ind Pk 702.5 (3.9 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Makakilo since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Hawaii town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on April 23, 2015 about 3.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 23, 2015.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Makakilo by decade01950s11960s11970s11980s01990s22000s12010s02020s
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 Makakilo itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

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 Makakilo

Makakilo questions

Is Makakilo, Hawaii a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Makakilo scores better for retirees than 19% of Hawaii towns and quieter than 14%. 13.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.6).

How much does a house cost in Makakilo?

The median owner-occupied home in Makakilo is valued at $867,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $118,550, so homes cost about 7.3 times income. Median rent is $2,276 a month.

What is the weather like in Makakilo?

July highs average 88.0°F and January lows 64.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Makakilo get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Makakilo 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 Makakilo's Census boundary (GEOID 1547600). 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 2026-11-13.