Population 70 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wailua
Household size in Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.31 | 3.12 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.13 | 3.20 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.64 | 3.18 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.47 | 3.06 | 2.65 |
| Change | −1.84 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Wailua is a place of small households, averaging 1.47 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 3.31 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.5 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.0 | 39.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.7 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 61.0 | 42.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +13.5 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
Wailua skews older: half of its residents are older than 61.0, 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 Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.2 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Wailua: 2.0% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Wailua
Renters in Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0% | 40.7% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.5% | 42.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.5% | 41.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 46.2% | 37.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | −3.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Wailua than nationally: 46.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. About a quarter of owners (24.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well below 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 Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.5% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 44.4% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 44.8% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.5% | 10.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Wailua: 24.5% of homes are empty, 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 Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1978 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1979 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +18 | +4 | +6 |
Wailua has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1993, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,440 | $1,393 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $867 | $1,482 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,050 | $1,829 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,023 | $2,199 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,583 | +$806 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wailua pays $3,023 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 51.0% of the typical renter's income, 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 Wailua
Bachelor's degrees in Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.2% | 28.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.1% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.7% | 32.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.3% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +6.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Wailua (27.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.3% | 89.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.3% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.5% | 91.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.0% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Wailua: 98.0% 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 Wailua
| Period | Wailua | Hawaii | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 4.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 36.0% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +31.0 pts | −1.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wailua runs well above the national rate: 36.0% 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).
Wailua 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wailua | 1.47 | 61.0 | 2.0% | 46.2% | 24.5% | 1993 | $3,023 | 27.3% | 98.0% | 36.0% |
| Kaupo | 1.47 | 61.0 | 2.0% | 46.2% | 24.5% | 1993 | $3,023 | 27.3% | 98.0% | 36.0% |
| Hana | 2.50 | 50.7 | 1.5% | 41.6% | 20.2% | 1985 | $3,023 | 24.6% | 99.4% | 15.5% |
| Huelo | 3.08 | 47.0 | 28.0% | 33.1% | 14.6% | 1984 | $2,318 | 21.3% | 95.1% | 7.5% |
| Haiku | 3.06 | 46.1 | 26.0% | 34.4% | 14.6% | 1984 | $2,345 | 22.9% | 95.2% | 7.3% |
| Kipahulu | 1.58 | 59.0 | 2.7% | 44.5% | 24.2% | 1990 | $2,864 | 28.8% | 98.1% | 32.7% |
| Haiku-Pauwela | 2.79 | 41.7 | 13.4% | 31.6% | 8.9% | 1990 | $2,158 | 35.2% | 94.2% | 6.3% |
| Makawao | 2.92 | 44.5 | 14.9% | 36.4% | 4.7% | 1984 | $1,748 | 34.0% | 95.5% | 7.7% |
| Pauwela | 2.80 | 26.0 | 69.6% | 61.8% | 28.7% | 2009 | $3,038 | 3.8% | 35.9% | 2.3% |
| Kula | 3.02 | 45.6 | 17.4% | 31.9% | 9.8% | 1984 | $2,200 | 36.0% | 93.8% | 3.7% |
| Haliimaile | 3.40 | 44.8 | 18.9% | 35.0% | 8.6% | 1961 | $1,507 | 24.9% | 91.1% | 14.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rural Hill, NY · Rocky Point, ID · Rocky Springs, MS · Roddy, SC · Roma Creek, TX · Roosterville, MA · Roscoe, MO · Rose Hill, IL · Rose Hill, NY · Roseglen, ND
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 Wailua. 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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