Waipio is an unincorporated community in Honolulu County, HI. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

About

Life in Waipio

Waipio is a community of 11,196 people in Hawaii. The median household income is $109,877, median rent runs about $2,219 per month, and median home values are around $749,500. Unemployment is low at 2.3%, suggesting a relatively healthy local job market.

Waipio at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

45.9 yrs

Poverty Rate

5.7%

Foreign-Born

19.2%

Broadband Internet

94.1%

of households

Population Growth

-2.4%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

Waipio$109,877
Hawaii avg$100,389
US$80,734

Demographics19.2% foreign-born, most often from Philippines

Who lives in Waipio: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In Waipio, the largest foreign-born group is from Philippines (65.8%), and 10.7% of residents speak Other Asian/Pacific at home.

Under 18

19.1%

of residents

65 and Older

24.9%

of residents

Households with Kids

28.9%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

25.7%

of households

Married Couples

46.4%

of households

Avg Household Size

2.61

people

Race & Ethnicity

Asian57.0%
Two or more races23.1%
Hispanic or Latino7.1%
Pacific Islander6.3%
White5.6%
Black0.8%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Philippines65.8%
Japan9.2%
Oceania, n.e.c.7.3%
Korea6.2%
Vietnam1.5%
China1.4%
England1.1%
Thailand1.1%
Micronesia1.1%
Hong Kong0.8%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only78.3%
Other Asian/Pacific10.7%
Tagalog/Filipino7.1%
Korean1.4%
Spanish1.1%
Chinese0.6%
Vietnamese0.5%
Other0.1%

Cost of Livingrent 13% above HI average

Rent, home values, and income in Waipio

In Waipio, rent runs 13% above the HI average, and home values are 11% below the HI average.

Median rent (per month)

Waipio$2,219
Hawaii avg$1,971
US$1,413

Median home value

Waipio$749,500
Hawaii avg$839,100
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

50.7%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

27.8%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

111.0

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$2,124

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

71.1%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1984

median year built

Vacant Homes

4.9%

of housing units

Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for HI

Unemployment in Waipio

Unemployment in Honolulu County, which includes Waipio, is close to the HI average.

Unemployment rate

Waipio2.3%
Hawaii avg2.4%
US4.3%

Waipio: Honolulu County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

2.7%
2.1%
2.3%
2.4%
10%
5.4%
3.2%
2.6%
2.5%
2.3%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Honolulu County (county-wide) · Annual averages

Waipio is about 1% of Honolulu County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

What Waipio Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care21.0%
Construction11.4%
Arts, hospitality & food service10.9%
Public administration10.7%
Retail9.7%
Professional & business services9.4%
Finance & real estate6.6%
Transportation & utilities6.2%

City residents, wherever they work

Commute27.4 min avg

How Waipio residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In Waipio, most residents drive alone to work (71%), and 53% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone70.6%
Carpool16.0%
Public transit2.4%
Walk1.7%
Work from home8.1%
Other1.2%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min14.7%
15–29 min38.0%
30–44 min32.0%
45–59 min7.1%
60+ min8.1%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)

    Major hub10.4M passengers boarded in 2025

    8 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyviolent crime 45% below national average

Crime rates for 2025

Violent crime in the area policed by the Honolulu Police Department, which covers Waipio, runs 45% below the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

181.3

per 100,000 residents

Below average (329 national, 2025)

Property Crime Rate

1,459.1

per 100,000 residents

Below average (1,552 national, 2025)

Policed by Honolulu Police Department (county-wide rate)

Natural DisastersHigh Surf most common — 13 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Relatively High

98.8 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Lightning · Very HighInland flooding · Very HighEarthquake · HighLandslide · HighTsunami · High

Honolulu County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In Honolulu County, which includes Waipio, the most common type is high surf, with 13 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

High SurfHeavy RainDroughtFlash FloodStrong Wind

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202513High Surf$1.7M
202426High Surf$145,000
202328High Surf$21,000
202254High Surf$115,000
202161High Surf$2.7M
202057High SurfNone reported
201963High Surf$57,250
201881High Surf$2.2M

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

Honolulu County, county-wide

Waipio is about 1% of Honolulu County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Air Quality29 median AQI — Good

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in Honolulu County, which includes Waipio, is typically good — 355 good-air days per year.

Median AQI

29

Good Days

355

per year

Moderate Days

10

per year

Unhealthy Days

0

per year

Honolulu County, county-wide

Waipio is about 1% of Honolulu County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Climate81°F summers, 61°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

Waipio has warm summers (avg high 81°F) and warm winters (avg low 61°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

78°/63°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

81°/67°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

81°/66°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

76°/61°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

53.4"

Annual Snowfall

0.0"

Hot Days/Year

1

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

0

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

214

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
50°60°70°80°90°100°8"Jan: 5.18" precipitationFeb: 4.31" precipitationMar: 6.30" precipitationApr: 5.62" precipitationMay: 4.33" precipitationJun: 4.23" precipitationJul: 5.17" precipitationAug: 3.96" precipitationSep: 4.61" precipitationOct: 5.76" precipitationNov: 7.09" precipitationDec: 7.52" precipitationJJan: high 76°F, low 61°F60°FFeb: high 76°F, low 60°FMMar: high 77°F, low 62°FAApr: high 77°F, low 63°FMMay: high 79°F, low 65°FJJun: high 80°F, low 67°FJJul: high 82°F, low 67°FAAug: high 83°F, low 68°F83°SSep: high 83°F, low 67°FOOct: high 82°F, low 66°FNNov: high 79°F, low 65°FDDec: high 77°F, low 63°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan76°F61°F5.18"
Feb76°F60°F4.31"
Mar77°F62°F6.30"
Apr77°F63°F5.62"
May79°F65°F4.33"
Jun80°F67°F4.23"
Jul82°F67°F5.17"
Aug83°F68°F3.96"
Sep83°F67°F4.61"
Oct82°F66°F5.76"
Nov79°F65°F7.09"
Dec77°F63°F7.52"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Waipio

Uninsured

3.4%

of residents

No hospitals inside Waipio's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

Pali Momi Medical Center

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.3 mi away · Aiea

Kaiser Foundation Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 7.1 mi away · Honolulu

Tripler Amc (ft Shafter)

Acute Care - Department of Defense · ER available · 7.7 mi away · Honolulu

Not rated

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity23.1%US 36.8%
Diabetes12.5%US 12.6%
High blood pressure31.1%US 37.1%
Current smoking9.5%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity23.6%US 26.6%
Depression13.9%US 23.0%
Asthma9.0%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year78.7%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education14.0:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in Waipio

Waipio's student/teacher ratio is 14.0:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 29.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

1

within city limits

Private Schools

1

within city limits

College Degree Rate

29.3%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

14.0:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Colleges Near Waipio (within 15 miles)

University of Hawaii at Manoa

14 mi away

Public · 4-year · 15,029 students · in-state tuition $12,402 · 65% graduate · median earnings $62,422 (10 yrs after entry)

University of Hawaii-West Oahu

5.6 mi away

Public · 4-year · 2,519 students · in-state tuition $7,728 · 54% graduate · median earnings $56,319 (10 yrs after entry)

Hawaii Pacific University

11.4 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,392 students · in-state tuition $36,734 · 42% graduate · median earnings $64,656 (10 yrs after entry)

Honolulu Community College

10.4 mi away

Public · 2-year · 1,897 students · in-state tuition $3,174 · 39% graduate · median earnings $50,539 (10 yrs after entry)

Chaminade University of Honolulu

14.9 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,672 students · in-state tuition $31,918 · 56% graduate · median earnings $56,938 (10 yrs after entry)

Windward Community College

11.8 mi away

Public · 2-year · 1,159 students · in-state tuition $3,194 · 30% graduate · median earnings $42,976 (10 yrs after entry)

Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)

Parks & Recreationclosest: Honouliuli National Historic Site, 4 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Waipio

Waipio has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Honouliuli National Historic Site (4 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Honouliuli National Historic Site

National Historic Site

4 mi away

Pearl Harbor National Memorial

National Memorial

5 mi away

Kalaupapa National Historical Park

National Historical Park

69 mi away

Cities Near Waipio

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to Waipio?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

Moving to Waipio →

Waipio FAQ

Is Waipio, Hawaii affordable?⌄

Waipio's median rent is $2,219/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $109,877/year. Median home value is $749,500.

Is Waipio, Hawaii safe?⌄

Waipio is policed by the Honolulu Police Department, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 181 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1459 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in Waipio, Hawaii?⌄

Honolulu County, which includes Waipio, has an unemployment rate of 2.3%, which is strong — well below the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in Waipio, Hawaii?⌄

The cost of living in Waipio is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $2,219/month and median household income is $109,877/year. The median home value is $749,500. About 51% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in Waipio, Hawaii?⌄

The average commute in Waipio is 27 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from