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Urban Honolulu · Oahu

Downtown, Nuuanu and Makiki

This part of Honolulu runs from the downtown business district and Chinatown up through Nuuanu Valley, and east across Punchbowl and Makiki.

Mostly condos9 condo complexesHawaiian Home Lands in this area

About Downtown, Nuuanu and Makiki

Housing is mostly older mid- and high-rise condos in Makiki and downtown, with single-family homes in Nuuanu Valley and on the slopes above Makiki and Punchbowl.

Makiki condos sold at a median of $365,000 over the 12 months through September 2026, on 271 sales, among the lowest condo medians in urban Honolulu.

What homes sell for

Property typeSales, Oct 2025–Sep 202612-month median
Single-family homes148$1.36M
Condos271$365K

Condos in the Downtown–Nuuanu region are reported separately: 222 sales at a median of $360,000. The single-family figure is for the Nuuanu–Makiki region.

Source: Locations Hawaii analysis of Oahu MLS sales for the 12 months through September 2026 (published October 5, 2026). Oahu figures are 12-month medians by MLS region, which are steadier than single-month numbers. Region boundaries don’t always match neighborhood names exactly.

Can you rent to visitors?

HousesNightly only in resort zonesOn Oahu, renting a house or condo for less than 30 days is illegal outside the resort districts (Waikiki’s resort precinct, Ko Olina and Turtle Bay) unless the property holds a nonconforming use certificate. The city’s 2022 ordinance (Ordinance 22-7) raised the residential minimum to 90 days. A federal court blocked that change for rentals of 30 to 89 days that were already lawfully operating, but anyone starting a rental now should plan on 90 days or more and confirm with the Department of Planning and Permitting.
CondosVaries by buildingIn our directory: 8 90+ days only · 1 not confirmed. Visitor rental rules are set building by building by zoning and house rules. Our directory shows each building’s status. See the Oahu condo directory.

Land, title and what to check

The Papakolea, Kewalo and Kalawahine homestead areas on the slopes of Puowaina (Punchbowl) are Department of Hawaiian Home Lands communities.

Hawaiian Home Lands homesteads are leased rather than sold on the open market. Leases run 99 years and are awarded from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands waiting list to native Hawaiians with at least 50% Hawaiian ancestry. A lease can pass only to a qualified relative or another eligible beneficiary, so these homes don’t appear as regular listings.

Hazards, water and access

Skyline rail currently ends at Middle Street in Kalihi. The next segment, to the Civic Center downtown, is scheduled to open in 2031.

Check any address for its FEMA flood zone, tsunami evacuation zone, sea level rise exposure, lava zone and wildfire risk with our Hawaii flood zone lookup.

Condo complexes in Downtown, Nuuanu and Makiki

Units, year built and visitor rental status from our Oahu condo directory.

Capitol PlaceDowntown/Chinatown · Honolulu394 · 200890+ days onlyCentury SquareDowntown/Chinatown · Honolulu158 · 198190+ days onlyExecutive CentreDowntown/Chinatown · Honolulu448 · 1984Not confirmedHarbor CourtDowntown/Chinatown · Honolulu120 · 199490+ days onlyHarbor SquareDowntown/Chinatown · Honolulu360 · 197190+ days onlyKukui PlazaDowntown/Chinatown · Honolulu908 · 197690+ days onlyQueen Emma GardensDowntown/Chinatown · Honolulu586 · 196390+ days only
The Pinnacle HonoluluDowntown/Chinatown · Honolulu200890+ days only
Wilder at PiikoiMakiki/Punchbowl · Honolulu166 · 197090+ days only

Sources: Locations Hawaii: Oahu residential market, September 2026; Title Guaranty Hawaii monthly Oahu sales reports; Honolulu Ordinance 22-7 court ruling (VRMA); City and County of Honolulu: FEMA flood map update; Skyline (Honolulu rail); DHHL Oahu lease awards, July 2026; HBR: Ordinance 25-44 tax tiers. Checked October 2026. This guide sticks to public facts about prices, rules, land and hazards. It doesn’t rate neighborhoods or describe who lives in them.