Aiea

About

Aiea is a gorgeous stretch of land that brushes Pearl Harbor’s shores and extends eastward into the foothills of the Ko’olau Mountains. The lush vegetation and abundant sunshine made Aiea an ideal swath of land for sugarcane production in the late 1800’s. The plantations became sugar refineries after WWII, but the last refinery closed in 1996. Today, Aiea is primarily a wealthy Honolulu suburb. Rising above sea level approximately 40 feet, Aiea has sweeping ocean views and enjoys the breezes that crest the mountains to the east.

Neighbors

Aiea is a small, tight-knit community. It isn’t known for having a lot of military families, but you will likely find higher ranking officers and retirees, alongside local professionals and executives. The commute to Tripler Army Medical Center is ideal at only 10 minutes with normal traffic. Getting to Honolulu takes only about 20 minutes, which opens up employment opportunities for spouses.   

Neighborhood Feel

This magnificent stretch of paradise is meticulously maintained and easily rivals any other affluent suburb. The architecture and neighborhood structure are similar to what you’d expect on the mainland. There is a strong sense of community and the quiet pace is a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city.

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Neighborhood Location

Commute
JBPHH – Makalapa Gate
Schofield/Wheeler – Foote Gate
Tripler AMC – Main Gate
Fort Shafter – Buckner Gate
MCHB – Front Gate
Drive Time to Gate
15 to 24* minutes
15 to 20* minutes
10 to 30* minutes
15 to 40* minutes
25 to 30* minutes
By Transit
20 minutes
60 minutes
25 minutes
50 minutes
1 hour 15 minutes

Neighborhood Info

Aiea - Tripler Army Medical Center, HI - gomillie.com

Points of Interest

Aiea Bay

Aloha Stadium – Hawaii’s largest stadium and home to the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Football.  

Keaiwa Heiau temple ruins

Pacific Aviation Museum

Pearlridge Mall

Big Plus

From Aiea, it’s a reverse commute north to Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield, but probably most convenient to Tripler Army Medical Center.

Homes with higher elevation enjoy stunning views and comforting breezes.

Close to Honolulu and the southern shore beaches as well as its own beaches in Aiea Bay.

Things to Consider

The homes are pricey, and the inventory is low so you should stalk the area and be positioned to move quickly. It’s hard to find something with BAH alone, and dual income families are common.

Get some elevation if you can! Homes that are higher up see savings in energy costs by capitalizing on breezes coming in from the east.

How’s the Market?

The median home value is $649,600 according to the Zillow Home Value Index.

Home Values are forecasted to increase by 0.8% in the coming year.

According to Zillow’s Rental Index, the median rental rate for single-family homes in Aiea is $2,675.

School Scoop

Aiea has 13 schools. One of the highest rated schools is Red Hill Elementary School, which is rated a 9 by GreatSchools.org.

Hawaii is the only state with a unified school system, meaning all taxes are distributed to the schools at the state level and schools are not grouped into districts.  

When looking at Oahu’s test scores and GreatSchools.org ratings, we advise you to look at the entire picture. Hawaiian public schools are evaluated based on Common Core standards, but many areas suffer a fairly large achievement gap due to socioeconomic disparities, despite offering a better quality education than the ratings imply. Many spouses report that the rankings don’t always reflect a school’s quality of education, so we encourage you to talk to friends, or Scouts, about specific schools.

Geographic Exemptions (GE’s) are available if you wish for your child to attend a different school from where your family is zoned, but these are granted on a space available basis and are at the principal’s discretion. Keep in mind – if your child attends a school while in a temporary lodging facility, he/she will have to move schools when you move out of the TLF if your new home is zoned to a different school. You may apply for a GE, but it isn’t guaranteed. Priority goes to those zoned to a failing school (based on No Child Left Behind standards), children of teachers at the school, and children who already have siblings at the school.

Highlighted Areas

Aiea Heights

Newton Estates

Royal Summit