O‘ahu’s Great Neighborhoods: Kapolei/Makakilo

A great neighborhood for urban dwellers with kids.

November 1, 2023

Katrina Valcourt,

O‘ahu’s Great Neighborhoods

O‘ahu is full of notable neighborhoods, each with its own character. Some are havens for urban singles and couples, others for young and growing families. Hot spots for foodies, emerging local businesses, retro charm, outdoor activities, nightlife: Here are seven of our favorites.

Kapolei was designated O‘ahu’s “second city” almost 50 years ago, though many people back then saw it as simply a cheaper place to live. After all, they still needed to work and play in Honolulu. That’s not the case anymore. While the median sales price of single-family homes in the Kapolei area has remained lower than many other parts of the island, the number of businesses and variety of things to do in the second city have increased, making it an attractive choice for families.

Makakilo. Photo: Anthony Consillio

“I would never move back to town,” says Cherif Guirguis, who moved in 2017 with his family from Mō‘ili‘ili to Makakilo, located just above Kapolei and covered by the same neighborhood board. “And I was a townie my whole life.” But after a few months of living up against the mountain, with cows in the backyard, he says he loves how quiet it is.

“I can go to Target, Home Depot, Costco in one run and then it’s gonna take me all of three minutes between each. … It’s all the restaurants I want up here. It’s just everything I want, less congested.” The 43-year-old owns Manoli Builders and moved his general construction company from Kalihi to Waipahu during the pandemic, so his commute has improved, too.

According to census information gathered by the City and County of Honolulu, the area covered by the Makakilo/Kapolei neighborhood board is the third-most populated on the island (after nearby Waipahu and ‘Ewa). From 2010 to 2020, the number of housing units in the area increased 38.4%. It’s also one of the more diverse places, where the most-represented race (Asian alone) comprises only 28.5% of the population, the lowest majority of all O‘ahu neighborhoods.

Compared to neighborhoods like Hawai‘i Kai and Mānoa, Kapolei and Makakilo are younger, both in terms of families and infrastructure. “Everything’s new, the streets are wider. It’s a grid system out here, which I love as an engineer,” Guirguis says.

“Within a few months, we were like, oh, yeah, we’ll never move back to town.”
—Cherif Guirguis

Guirguis and his wife, Jenna, who also works at Manoli Builders, value living close to Wet’n’Wild Hawai‘i, Wai Kai and the lagoons of Ko Olina. They have two young kids: Chase, who’s in third grade, and Cooper, in first grade, both at Island Pacific Academy. An ‘Iolani grad, Guirguis believes in IPA’s teaching philosophy and likes how the school engages the kids. He also coaches a club soccer team at the Waipi‘o soccer park.

Makakilo. Photo: Anthony Consillio

The area has a mix of family-friendly big-box chains like Walmart and Target, small local businesses, as well as Kapolei Commons and Ka Makana Ali‘i. And restaurant wait times are significantly shorter than in town. Jenna Guirguis says she’s excited for the state’s largest Don Quijote to open in the area soon, along with a new Popeyes. And, she says, she enjoys going to Moani Island Bistro for live music and pau hana. “That’s always a fun girls or guys night out for parents,” she says.

She doesn’t miss town, either. “Honolulu is so congested,” she says, adding that everything she wants—the kids’ school, the Ko Olina lagoons, shopping centers—is close by. “We can go to Home Depot, we can go to soccer, we can go to the beach, we can go to the movies and shop and have lunch all in one day. So don’t ask me to go to Honolulu,” she says with a laugh, “unless you give me like three months heads up.”

Population in Kapolei/Makakilo: 46,389
Housing Units: 15,059
Median Household Income: $108,328
Median Sales Price of Single-Family Homes (January through August 2023): $945,000

Sources: Honolulu Board of Realtors, Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting Neighborhood Profiles

Best Places for Kids
‘Ōlino by Consolidated Theatres
Regal Kapolei Commons
Ko Olina lagoons
Wet’n’Wild Hawai‘i
White Plains Beach
Coral Crater Adventure Park
Kids City Kapolei
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa