Population 16,851 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kailua-Kona
Household size in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.81 | 3.12 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.88 | 3.20 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.97 | 3.18 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.13 | 3.06 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.32 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Kailua-Kona is a place of big households: 3.13 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.81 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.9 | 39.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.5 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 42.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.8 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Kailua-Kona are younger than 39.8 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Hawaii as a whole, where the median age is 42.3. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 42.6, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Kailua-Kona than nationally: 14.2%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.6 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Kailua-Kona
Renters in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6% | 40.7% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 46.1% | 42.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.6% | 41.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.6% | 37.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −3.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Kailua-Kona is about as common as it is nationally: 37.6% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among owners, 39.9% have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 5.0 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.5% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 10.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.1% of the housing in Kailua-Kona, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1978 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1979 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Kailua-Kona is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,218 | $1,393 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,095 | $1,482 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,317 | $1,829 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,708 | $2,199 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$491 | +$806 | +$606 |
Rent in Kailua-Kona runs $1,708 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in Hawaii overall ($2,199). Rent has climbed $491 a month since 2006–10, up 40%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.6% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Kailua-Kona
Bachelor's degrees in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 28.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.4% | 32.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.9% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +6.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Kailua-Kona than nationally: 31.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 5.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.2% | 89.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.2% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.8% | 91.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.9% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Kailua-Kona have finished high school (91.9%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Hawaii as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma has risen 1.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Kailua-Kona
| Period | Kailua-Kona | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 4.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −1.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Kailua-Kona than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Kailua-Kona compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kailua-Kona | 3.13 | 39.8 | 14.2% | 37.6% | 21.1% | 1989 | $1,708 | 31.9% | 91.9% | 4.2% |
| Kalaoa | 2.90 | 45.3 | 10.7% | 28.0% | 15.5% | 1992 | $1,765 | 29.8% | 95.5% | 5.2% |
| Holualoa | 2.74 | 47.3 | 7.4% | 18.6% | 21.7% | 1989 | $2,090 | 43.8% | 92.0% | 2.7% |
| Kahaluu-Keauhou | 2.89 | 50.4 | 15.9% | 25.3% | 26.1% | 1979 | $1,794 | 40.4% | 90.4% | 3.4% |
| Kealakekua | 3.57 | 44.2 | 11.1% | 26.0% | 12.7% | 1984 | $1,972 | 27.1% | 89.0% | 6.0% |
| Honaunau-Napoopoo | 3.01 | 51.9 | 9.3% | 23.8% | 20.4% | 1986 | $1,818 | 30.2% | 89.8% | 6.6% |
| Captain Cook | 3.11 | 47.5 | 9.6% | 25.0% | 20.2% | 1988 | $1,707 | 27.1% | 89.8% | 6.4% |
| Waikoloa Village | 2.94 | 40.5 | 14.8% | 37.3% | 41.7% | 1991 | $2,154 | 39.8% | 95.0% | 0.7% |
| Puako | 1.99 | 65.9 | 2.9% | 19.6% | 70.6% | 2003 | $2,156 | 57.5% | 96.9% | 3.6% |
| Waikoloa | 3.03 | 40.6 | 18.8% | 29.4% | 24.5% | 1993 | $2,097 | 30.9% | 97.5% | 9.8% |
| Hookena | 2.54 | 60.0 | 4.0% | 8.1% | 39.0% | 1993 | $1,225 | 38.5% | 96.8% | 1.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ceiba, PR · Trinity, NC · Union City, TN · Urbana, OH · Valley, AL · Vine Grove, KY · Wallkill, NY · Corning, CA · Clifton Heights, PA · Clewiston, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Kailua-Kona. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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