Population 3,769 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wailea
Household size in Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.66 | 3.12 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.25 | 2.74 | 3.20 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.17 | 2.79 | 3.18 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.24 | 2.59 | 3.06 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.07 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Wailea are small: just 2.24 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.37 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.0 | 39.8 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 55.6 | 40.2 | 39.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 56.0 | 44.1 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 55.8 | 46.1 | 42.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.8 | +6.2 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
Wailea skews older: half of its residents are older than 55.8, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 10.4% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 11.4% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 10.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 10.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.6% of households in Wailea, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Wailea
Renters in Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.2% | 49.0% | 40.7% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.3% | 48.6% | 42.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.9% | 42.2% | 41.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.2% | 38.1% | 37.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.9 pts | −10.9 pts | −3.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Wailea own their homes; 29.2% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly half of owners (47.8%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6% | 24.6% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 38.8% | 29.4% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 35.3% | 32.2% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.7% | 27.5% | 10.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +2.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 36.7% of the housing in Wailea, 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.
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 Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1987 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1987 | 1978 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1987 | 1979 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1991 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Wailea has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1988, versus 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Kihei.
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 Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,757 | $1,579 | $1,393 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,775 | $1,408 | $1,482 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,865 | $1,694 | $1,829 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,744 | $2,236 | $2,199 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$987 | +$657 | +$806 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wailea pays $2,744 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 48.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Wailea
Bachelor's degrees in Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.5% | 30.4% | 28.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 43.5% | 28.9% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.7% | 33.1% | 32.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 53.7% | 35.1% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +4.7 pts | +6.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Wailea: 53.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.3% | 91.3% | 89.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.3% | 92.7% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.8% | 94.7% | 91.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.2% | 95.6% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Wailea: 97.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Wailea
| Period | Wailea | Kihei | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 5.7% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 7.5% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 4.2% | 4.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 6.1% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wailea runs well above the national rate: 8.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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).
Wailea compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wailea | 2.24 | 55.8 | 2.6% | 29.2% | 36.7% | 1988 | $2,744 | 53.7% | 97.2% | 8.1% |
| Pukalani | 3.05 | 45.8 | 17.4% | 40.3% | 3.6% | 1986 | $1,586 | 35.5% | 96.5% | 11.0% |
| Napili-Honokowai | 2.94 | 42.3 | 12.0% | 41.8% | 40.9% | 1985 | $2,283 | 30.8% | 94.6% | 6.0% |
| Kamuela | 2.56 | 46.4 | 16.5% | 23.6% | 17.2% | 1994 | $1,988 | 45.3% | 94.6% | 5.3% |
| Kailua Kona | 2.97 | 42.1 | 10.6% | 32.7% | 19.6% | 1988 | $1,807 | 35.2% | 92.0% | 3.8% |
| Holualoa | 2.97 | 44.3 | 17.7% | 27.9% | 13.6% | 1980 | $1,638 | 35.4% | 90.6% | 4.5% |
| Hawaii Kai | 2.86 | 48.3 | 7.2% | 16.8% | 7.5% | 1980 | $3,296 | 59.3% | 96.8% | 4.4% |
| Kuliouou-Kalani Iki | 3.02 | 49.8 | 8.2% | 13.4% | 11.6% | 1971 | $3,055 | 59.8% | 98.6% | 5.2% |
| Waialae-Kahala | 2.81 | 50.5 | 6.7% | 21.5% | 15.9% | 1965 | $2,683 | 62.6% | 97.9% | 2.7% |
| Kaimuki | 2.96 | 47.1 | 8.9% | 34.4% | 7.3% | 1962 | $2,292 | 49.9% | 94.4% | 3.6% |
| Palolo | 3.01 | 45.9 | 6.5% | 33.6% | 5.0% | 1963 | $1,840 | 36.8% | 88.6% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Abbot, Ann Arbor, MI · Browncroft, Rochester, NY · Belview Heights, Birmingham, AL · Bel Aire, Wheat Ridge, CO · Apple Valley, Birmingham, AL · Barclay Hills, Oregon City, OR · Austin Estates, Barberton, OH · Pimmit Hills, Falls Church, VA · Putnam Lake, Patterson, NY · Puhi, Lihue, HI
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 Wailea. 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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