Honolulu Senior AdvisorWhere is licensed senior care on Oahu?
Licensed senior care on Oahu is concentrated in two belts: town Honolulu, which holds most assisted living and nursing homes, and the Leeward towns from Aiea to Ewa Beach, which hold 228 of the island's 455 licensed care homes and most of its foster family homes.
Windward, Central and North Shore communities have fewer licensed settings of their own, so families there often compare a few local homes with options a drive away. On Oahu, traffic over the Pali, through the H-1 corridor or out to the Waianae Coast can make a few miles feel like many.
How does each Oahu town compare?
Waipahu has the most care homes and foster family homes of any Oahu town, Kaneohe is the windward side's care hub, and Kapolei holds the island's state veterans home; the table below counts every licensed or certified setting by town.
| Town | Care homes | of which E-ARCH | Foster family homes | Assisted living | Nursing homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii Kai | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kailua | 11 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaneohe | 25 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Pearl City | 36 | 19 | 62 | 1 | 1 |
| Aiea | 32 | 23 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| Waipahu | 122 | 73 | 524 | 0 | 0 |
| Mililani | 3 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Kapolei | 9 | 6 | 27 | 1 | 2 |
| Ewa Beach | 22 | 10 | 199 | 0 | 1 |
| Wahiawa & the North Shore | 10 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| Waianae Coast | 7 | 5 | 21 | 0 | 1 |
| Honolulu (town) | 172 | 112 | 166 | 8 | 19 |
Counts come from OHCA's April 2026 care home report, March 2026 foster family home roster and April 2026 assisted living roster, and CMS Care Compare data as of October 1, 2026.
How should we choose where on Oahu to look?
Choose the area by who will visit most and how often, then by the care level needed, because on Oahu a care home 10 minutes from the main family caregiver usually serves a kupuna better than a better-known option an hour away in traffic.
- Map where the main caregiver lives and works, and the parent's doctors.
- Check which towns have expanded ARCHs or foster family homes if nursing-level care is likely.
- Consider the parent's community: church, language, friends and favorite places.
- Remember that town Honolulu has most of the assisted living and nursing homes.
