Here Are The 11 Most Dangerous Places In Hawaii After Dark
According to the Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, crime rates in Hawaii have decreased dramatically in the last decade – the state as a whole experienced record low rates of robbery, burglary, arson, and violent crime. While the state as a whole is extremely safe in terms of violent crime, quite a bit of property crime occurs here. Here are the most dangerous places in Hawaii that you may want to avoid once the sun goes down.
Using information from AreaVibes.com and NeighborhoodScout.com, as well as statistics from the National Drug Intelligence Center and SafeWise.com, we have compiled a list of the 11 most dangerous towns – and census-designated places – throughout the Hawaiian Islands, listed in no particular order. Don’t think that this is a comprehensive list, though; there are at least 13 other dangerous towns that have higher than average crime rates for Hawaii.
Known to some as the “armpit of Oahu,” Wahiawa is 10th in the state in terms of crime, and drug use runs rampant. Total crimes are 20 percent higher here than the state as a whole. This is certainly one of the top places to avoid in Hawaii, especially after dark.
One of the most dangerous places to live on the quaint Garden Isle is Kapaa, with a 1 in 28 chance of being the victim of a crime. That is 3% higher than the average rate of crime in Hawaii.
While crime has decreased drastically throughout the state, it hasn’t changed much in Kahului. Annual crime rates are 34.12 per 1,000 residents making this Maui town safer than only 11% of U.S. cities.
This leeward Oahu census-designated place has the highest per capita crime rate in the state. In fact, a crime occurs here every 12 hours and 20 minutes on average according to Crimegrade.org.
With a population of just over 6,700 - at least 10 percent living below the poverty line - property crime is all too common in this northern Maui census-designated place. An average of 19.38 property crimes occur per 1,000 residents. That may seem high but the average crime rates here are actually 6% lower than the Hawaii average.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Honolulu is the “primary transshipment point for drugs and drug proceeds to, through, and from the state,” though that might just be due to the fact that Honolulu is home to the largest airport in Hawaii, an international postal facility, and two major commercial harbors.
In such a large city, there are undoubtedly good and bad areas; we suggest staying away from Kalihi and Chinatown late at night.
Pahoa also made our list of Hawaiian cities with the most sex offenders, with one sex offender per 23 residents, according to City-Data.com. The crime rates here are also 46% higher than the state average. This is one of the most dangerous places in Hawaii.
The National Drug Intelligence Center mentions the high use of methamphetamine in Ewa Beach as well, and according to AreaVibes, you have a 1 in 27 chance of being a crime victim.
Not only is this city on Oahu seemingly rundown, methamphetamine use runs rampant among the city’s residents, according to the National Drug Intelligence Center. The overall crime rate is 36 per 1,000 residents, which is much higher than the national average.
This census-designated place on Kauai’s eastern shore is home to approximately 5,150 people, but it has a rate of crime in Hawaii that's 31% higher than the national average.
Living in Hawaii is pretty awesome! There are literally hundreds of miles of coastline boasting some of the best beaches in the world, plenty of sunshine and good weather, endless hiking trails to explore the most scenic parts of the island, and ancient cultural sites. Although there are plenty of good things about living in the Aloha State, just like anywhere else, it has its downsides. For one, the cost of living is outrageous and unaffordable to some people. There is a bit of a traffic problem in the cities and many people get island fever a short time after moving here.
What are the safest places to live in Hawaii?
Since we touched upon the most dangerous places in Hawaii, let’s now focus on the safest places. According to AreaVibes.com, Kaneohe Station, Schofield Barracks, Hickam Housing, Wailea, and East Honolulu are the top five safest places to live in Hawaii.
What stereotypes are there about Hawaii?
It’s widely believed that most people who live in Hawaii surf, go to the beach, eat Spam, and wear Hawaiian shirts all the time, but those stereotypes are just not true for much of the population. While these stereotypes may be true for some of the residents, they cannot be applied to everyone on the islands.
Address: Wahiawa, HI 96786, USA
Address: Kapa?a, HI 96746, USA
Address: Kahului, HI, USA
Address: M?kaha, HI 96792, USA
Address: Napili-Honokowai, HI, USA
Address: Honolulu, HI, USA
Address: P?hoa, HI 96778, USA
Address: Ewa Beach, HI, USA
Address: Waipahu, HI 96797, USA
Address: Hanamaulu, HI, USA
Address: Kailua-Kona, HI, USA
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With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
