Memory Care Communities in Honolulu, Hawaii

With senior care prices calculated for only two cities in the state of Hawaii, Honolulu’s average monthly cost of $6,719 for memory care is higher than the $4,781 average price tag in Kahului on the island of Maui. Despite being higher than the national average, the cost seems much more reasonable when compared to two major cities in California, with Los Angeles offering slight savings at $6,563 and San Francisco averaging significantly higher at $7,899.

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we’ve estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey.

The average cost for memory care in Honolulu is $6,719 per month which is over $1,000 higher than the national monthly average of $5,625. Surprisingly, memory care costs on the west coastal mainland are higher than on the Islands.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in Hawaii page.

Monthly fees for Honolulu nursing home facilities are the only more expensive option than memory care, with an average monthly charge of $12,471 for a semi-private room. The greatest bargain comes with adult day care at only $1,625 with all other senior care options bringing in a monthly savings of around $1,000.

The Office of Health Care Assurance is a division within Hawaii’s Department of Health and is tasked with overseeing the general licensing and regulation of communities that provide memory care. Inspections are scheduled every two years with additional unannounced inspections conducted if there is a complaint or to ensure regulatory compliance.

• The cost of living in Honolulu is 76.5% higher than the national average but with the large percentage of seniors that make up the local population the state develops a number of programs that help ease financial burdens.
• Average high temperatures in Honolulu tend to stay in the 80s throughout the year with lows that rarely dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Seniors who dislike cooler temperatures will enjoy Hawaii’s tropical climate with low winds and mild precipitation.
• Seniors retiring on private pensions, 401(k) or IRA accounts will be charged the full income tax rate for their bracket on these earnings. However, those living on Social Security income and public pensions are tax exempt. Those dollars are stretched even further with a 4% General Excise Tax rate that replaces the standard sales tax found in most states.
• Hawaii boasts some of the lowest health care costs in the country. A 2019 report by The Senior List showed Americans spend an average of $5,640.78 on health care each year while island residents enjoyed the lowest costs of any state at just $3,626.
• Getting around Honolulu without a vehicle is not a problem for seniors. The city was ranked 11th on the 2018 traditional Redfin transit score which measures the frequency and usefulness of public transit options. The future implementation of the planned Honolulu Rail Transit Project will add another convenient mode of transportation to the list.
• Despite high levels of traffic in the city, Honolulu consistently shows good air quality index ratings that fall well below the 50 AQI threshold for clean readings. Seniors with respiratory conditions can move about freely without the need to stay indoors to avoid air pollutants.
• Honolulu has a crime index of 14 which means it is safer than just 14% of all other measured areas. However, compared to cities of similar populations, it actually proves to be much safer than comparable cities.