Houses for sale in Honolulu County, HI
Honolulu County Houses
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Buy a House in Honolulu County, the Most Remote Metropolis In the United States
Honolulu. Is it a city? Is it a county? Surprisingly, it’s both. This tropical island of Oʻahu, the third-largest in the archipelago, is known for its stunning white-sand beaches, crystal blue waters, salty surf, and an aloha lifestyle that can’t be found anywhere other than Hawaiʻi. Dear Hawaiʻi, you are a place where a house for sale in Honolulu County is hard to find. An opportunity that doesnʻt last either, so if you have the means to buy a home in Honolulu, then, by all means, let's close the deal.
History of Honolulu County Hawaii
History of Honolulu County Hawaii
Honolulu History
Owning land in Hawaiʻi used to be unheard of. Native Hawaiians were distributed parcels of land by the mōʻī, or the king, that were essentially wedge-shaped plots mostly divided by natural boundaries.
They werenʻt always the same size, as the goal of the parcels was to make sure that individuals had what they needed to live sustainably upon the land. Since resources donʻt fall neatly into wedge-shaped pie pieces, the boundaries of the slices were more fluid, but, for the most part, the Indigenous peoples of the land had all that they needed to survive. Thrive, in fact, because there was even time in the day left over for leisure.
In 1848, that long-practiced system experienced radical change. King Kamehameha III decided that individuals should own land, and redistributed the land in his kingdom into three categories: the mō‘ī, the ali‘i (the kingʻs high chiefs), and the maka‘āinana (common-folk). This was known as the Great Māhele of 1848, and it paved the way for the private land ownership we see today.
Honolulu is a Consolidated City-County
The governance of Hawaiʻi is interesting and differs from all other U.S. States. It is the only state that does not have incorporated places below the county level. Honolulu is also a consolidated city-county, a term for when a city and its surrounding county merge into a unified jurisdiction.
Honolulu became a city-county in 1907 when it was accepted by the territory of Hawaiʻi Legislature. What's unique about the structure, and the structure of all of the counties in the State of Hawaii, (there are only five), is how much power the counties have. Below the state level, they have all of it— collecting property taxes, administering public safety and sanitation measures, caring for parks, and even community activities, many of the things that would normally fall upon the shoulders of the municipalities, or cities.
There is only one official city on Oʻahu and that’s Honolulu. But there are many Census Designated Places, small towns, neighborhoods, and even locales that make fine places to search for a house in Honolulu County.
Honolulu County Namesake
Honolulu County Namesake
What’s in a Name?
The Hawaiian word, “Honolulu” translates to “sheltered harbor” or “calm waters,” and although Hawaiʻi is the U.S.’ 50th state, Hawaiʻi does have its own language.
An interesting tidbit about the state’s name and certain spellings is the inclusion, or absence, of diacritics. Diacritics are glyphs added to letters to change the sounds of vowels. The Hawaiian language uses two: the ʻokina and the kahakō.
If you were to spell the stateʻs name in the Hawaiian language, the proper way is “Hawaiʻi”. (Note the use of the okina that appears like an apostrophe, but is not.)
When constitutional documents were drafted in 1949, they predated the use of the okina in modern documents. Thatʻs why you now see the official documents declaring the “State of Hawaii,” because the Hawaii Admission Act that granted statehood omitted the glottal stop. Changing it would require an Act of Congress, action from the federal government that so far hasn’t happened yet.
Hawaiians carry on with the ʻokina and the kahakō, however, with or without government approval…
Honolulu. Is it a city? Is it a county? Surprisingly, it’s both. This tropical island of Oʻahu, the third-largest in the archipelago, is known for its stunning white-sand beaches, crystal blue waters, salty surf, and an aloha lifestyle that can’t be found anywhere other than Hawaiʻi. Dear Hawaiʻi, you are a place where a house for sale in Honolulu County is hard to find. An opportunity that doesnʻt last either, so if you have the means to buy a home in Honolulu, then, by all means, let's close the deal.
Honolulu County, HI Demographics
Honolulu County, HI Demographics
Honolulu County is the Entire Island of Oʻahu, and Beyond…
Honolulu County encompasses the entire island of Oʻahu and all of the islets and atolls that make up the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This does not include Midway Atoll which is a separate territory. With the inclusion of these leeward islands, the county spans an area that stretches over 1,380 miles, making it the widest county in the United States, by far.
Oʻahu, or, The Gathering Place, is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and its residents make up the bulk of the countyʻs population. In fact, nearly two-thirds of the State of Hawaiiʻs population resides on Oʻahu, and mostly within Honolulu at that. Oʻahu is 44 miles long and 30 miles wide, and is, as of the 2020 United States Census, a county that over one million people call home.
Of those one million, 57.5% of them are homeowners. Honolulu County is the most competitive place in all of the islands to buy Hawaiʻi real estate, so taking title on their Honolulu County houses has likely been no easy feat. It is possible though, and homeowners are reaping the rewards with the average value of a house in Honolulu County over $700,000.
The average household income in Hawaiʻi is around $88,000, a wage necessary to combat the islandsʻ high cost of living. In order to achieve this, many residents work in the booming tourism, or tourism-adjacent industries, a sector that is vital to the Hawaiian economy. Other workers make their wages in the airline industry, the navigation sector, and the banking, medical, health, and electric industries.
Hawaiʻi’s people are very welcoming, receiving visitors from all over the world every day of the year, and unsurprisingly, the full-time residents are as diverse as the travelers as well.
This is likely due to Hawaiʻi’s unique location in the tropics in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The 2020 census reports that in addition to the Native Hawaiian population whose numbers have dwindled over time, the predominant race in Honolulu County is Asian, with nearly 43% of residents identifying in this way. Honolulu has a youthful population too, with 21% of the residents recorded as under age 18. The future's looking bright on Oʻahu.
Why should you buy a house in Honolulu County, HI?
Why should you buy a house in Honolulu County, HI?
There are numerous reasons to move to Honolulu County. Aside from living in what is said to be Heaven on Earth, or, the State of Hawaii, the return on investment for a house in Hawaiʻi is spectacular. The great thing about island life is the remoteness it offers, and the finite area it takes up.
In real estate, this means that while the demand continues to increase, the supply has limited capabilities, making your investment a solid one.
Explore some of the best neighborhoods in Honolulu County, HI
Haleiwa
0 Properties
Blackpoint/Diamond Head
1 Properties
Hawaii Kai
0 Properties
Mānoa
0 Properties
Kahala
0 Properties
Why Honolulu County?
Why Honolulu County?
Honolulu County truly showcases the best of what Oʻahu, and all of Hawaiʻi, has to offer. A wide variety of dwelling types, in addition to resplendent and unending natural beauty make real estate here the stuff of what dreams are made of. What will your life be like when you finally get your house in Honolulu County? Itʻs time to find out…
Kaiya Botosh
Jaydon Levin
Martin Lipshutz
Alfonso Rosser
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