Should I Move To
Urban Honolulu, Hawaii comes in at about 348,547 residents. Cost of living comes out expensive — 25% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,734/mo, and the median household income is about $82,772. Overall, 53/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C-, putting it at #365 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 125 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's expensive territory. With median rent at $1,734/mo and median household income at $82,772, housing takes about 25% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $805,500.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Urban Honolulu has a varied climate. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests. AQI runs about 21 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Urban Honolulu is a tougher sell for families. The profile-weighted score is 43/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (19/100).
Urban Honolulu is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 40/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (19/100).
Urban Honolulu is a tougher sell for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 41/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (19/100).
Urban Honolulu is a tougher sell for young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 41/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (19/100).
Our overall score for Urban Honolulu is 53/100 — a C-, sitting at #365 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Urban Honolulu sits at 125 — expensive, 25% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,734 a month.
Walk Score: 36/100. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests.
Roughly 348,547 people live here, with 39% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 43.
Drop Urban Honolulu into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Urban Honolulu with other Hawaii cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.