Total enrollment
111,011
-10,415 (-9%) vs SY 2017-18
Honolulu County
Hawaii · Public K-12
Public-school families in Honolulu County pick from 187 schools serving the county's roughly 111,011 K-12 students, with a mix of 127 elementary, 26 middle, and 27 high.
7-year change in Honolulu County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
186
+3 (+2%) vs SY 2017-18
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
1,001,146
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
187
1 districts
Enrollment
111,011
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$106,195
Above Hawaii avg
Free/reduced lunch
41.9%
Below Hawaii avg
Elementary
127
55,782 students
Middle
26
18,393 students
High
27
32,450 students
Combined / other
7
4,386 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Hawaii Department of Education
111,011 students · 1 district in Honolulu County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Honolulu County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
38.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.1%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.7%
civilian labor
Median age
40
20.6% under 18
Test scores in Honolulu County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 182 schools ranked. Hawaii state average: 52.0%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Kamaile Academy PCS· 16.0%
- Nanakuli Elementary School· 18.0%
- Ka Waihona o ka Naauao - PCS· 23.0%
- Nanaikapono Elementary School· 24.0%
- Nanakuli High & Intermediate School· 24.0%
Cities in Honolulu County
About Honolulu County
Across the expansive Hawaii county of Honolulu County of about 1,001,146 residents, the public-school footprint covers 187 schools and about 111,011 students.
Looking at the broader picture, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $106,195, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 17% noticeably above the Hawaii median.
For a sense of the school types, Honolulu County consists of 127 elementary schools (55,782 students), 26 middle schools (18,393), 27 high schools (32,450), and 7 combined or other schools.
Hawaii Department of Education dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 111,011 students on its own.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment shrank 9%: 121,426 students in SY 2017-18 versus 111,011 in SY 2024-25. Honolulu County now counts 186 public schools, up from 183 in SY 2017-18.
On this page, the community for Honolulu County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Honolulu County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data