Median Income
$67,258
household / year
Median Home Value
$663,400
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,881
gross / month
Cost of Living
106
national avg = 100

Is Wailua, HI a Good Place to Live?

Wailua is a small town of 2,438 in Hawaii, with a median household income of $67,258 and a 8.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.

Strengths: Wailua stands out for short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Wailua is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Wailua city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 106.4

Wailua's overall cost of living index is 106.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Wailua costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.

Metric Wailua, HI National Avg
Median Home Value $663,400 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,881 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 60.4% 65.9%
Median Household Income $67,258 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Wailua's violent crime rate is 260.1 per 100,000 residents — 32% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
260.1 /100k
Property Crime
1748.4 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Wailua, HI National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 33.4% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 93.0% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Wailua sees average highs of 78.6°F in January and 84.6°F in July, with 73.7 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricWailua, HI
Average High — January78.6°F
Average High — July84.6°F
Annual Precipitation73.7"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricWailua, HINational Avg
Population2,438—
Median Age42.838.9
Unemployment Rate8.2%3.7%
Avg Commute Time21.1 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)37.7%59.3%
Black or African American1.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino10.1%18.9%
Asian23.2%6.3%
Under 1820.5%22.2%
65 and over26.2%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Kapaa, HI 3 mi Wailua Homesteads, HI 3 mi Hanamaulu, HI 4 mi Lihue, HI 6 mi Anahola, HI 7 mi

Wailua vs Other Cities

Wailua, HI vs Kapaa, HI Wailua, HI vs Wailua Homesteads, HI Wailua, HI vs Hanamaulu, HI Wailua, HI vs Lihue, HI Wailua, HI vs Anahola, HI

Frequently Asked Questions

Wailua's cost of living index is 106, where 100 is the national average. That puts Wailua roughly 6% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $663,400 and median rent is $1,881/month.
Wailua's violent crime rate is 260.1 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1748.4 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Wailua, HI has a population of 2,438, a median household income of $67,258, and an unemployment rate of 8.2%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Wailua averages 78.6°F in January and 84.6°F in July. Annual rainfall is 73.7 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Wailua, Hawaii is 2,438 with a median age of 42.8. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Wailua: cost of living index 106 (100 = US average), median home $663,400, median household income $67,258, crime index 74 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Wailua side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.