Census-designated place · Hawaii County, Hawaii

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii

Kailua is a census-designated place in Hawaii County, Hawaii, part of the Hilo-Kailua, HI metro area. It has 21,818 residents. Kailua (CDP), Hawaii has a quality-of-life score of 52 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,562 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Hawaii it ranks #88 of 125 cities and towns. It ranks best on effective property tax rate (low), preventable hospital stays (low) and median Air Quality Index (low). It ranks worst on distance to an Amtrak station (high), natural hazard risk (high) and home price to income ratio (high).

52Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,562 of 15,651 cities and towns
Hawaii: #88 of 125 in HI
Population: 21,818 (2020-2024)
Land area: 14 mi²
Density: 1,581.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 1523000

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 69 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety49#7,997/15,637
Economy42#9,070/15,631
Housing60#5,968/14,977
Health66#5,266/15,609
Healthcare39#9,509/15,650
Environment—
Education38#9,649/15,649
Infrastructure68#5,085/15,650
Community28#11,327/15,651
Leisure & amenities77#3,515/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Kailua (CDP), Hawaii ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Hawaii County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.40%
94/100Hawaii 0.29%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Preventable hospital stays · low1,769 /100k
92/100Hawaii 1,752 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHawaii County value
Median Air Quality Index · low32
92/100Hawaii 292025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyHawaii County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high7.2 /10k
90/100Hawaii 6.8 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHawaii County value
Firearm deaths · low4.8 /100k
89/100Hawaii 3.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataHawaii County value
High school diploma or higher · high91.1%
88/100Hawaii 93.2%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Distance to an Amtrak station · high2,343 mi
1/100Hawaii 2,391 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauHawaii County value
Natural hazard risk · high98.8
2/100Hawaii 93.22025Federal Emergency Management AgencyHawaii County value
Home price to income ratio · high7.6×
4/100Hawaii 8.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Reading scores · low2.63
5/100Hawaii 2.97United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHawaii County value
Math scores · low2.61
9/100Hawaii 2.99United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHawaii County value
Voter turnout · low54.9%
11/100Hawaii 49.5%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionHawaii County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
15,231 (2015-2019) → 21,818 (2020-2024)
+43%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateWorsening
8.0% (2015-2019) → 19.0% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
84.0% (2015-2019) → 92.4% (2020-2024)
+8.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
25.8% (2015-2019) → 33.6% (2020-2024)
+7.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Median household incomeImproving
$72,267 (2015-2019) → $88,211 (2020-2024)
+22%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateWorsening
10.1% (2015-2019) → 14.3% (2020-2024)
+4.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Kailua (CDP), Hawaii improved on 3 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 7 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Bachelor's++7.8 points25.8% → 33.6%
Broadband+8.4 points84.0% → 92.4%
Household income+22%$72,267 → $88,211

Declined4

Inequality+0.0810.402 → 0.483
Child poverty+11 points8.0% → 19.0%
Price / income+1.2×6.4× → 7.6×
Poverty+4.2 points10.1% → 14.3%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Kailua (CDP), Hawaii between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.9 min2015-2019	20.3 min2020-2024	+3.4 min	Within the margin of error	17%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.8%2015-2019	33.6%2020-2024	+7.8 points	Improved	83%
Broadband subscriptions	84.0%2015-2019	92.4%2020-2024	+8.4 points	Improved	52%
Child poverty rate	8.0%2015-2019	19.0%2020-2024	+11 points	Declined	11%
Effective property tax rate	0.42%2015-2019	0.40%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	20%
High school diploma or higher	87.8%2015-2019	91.1%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Home price to income ratio	6.4×2015-2019	7.6×2020-2024	+1.2×	Declined	16%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4022015-2019	0.4832020-2024	+0.081	Declined	8%
Median household income	$72,2672015-2019	$88,2112020-2024	+22%	Improved	37%
Poverty rate	10.1%2015-2019	14.3%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Declined	15%
Rent as share of income	25.1%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Rent-burdened households	40.6%2015-2019	39.1%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Unemployment rate	3.0%2015-2019	4.0%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.0%2015-2019	9.2%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	56%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Kailua (CDP), Hawaii five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Kailua (CDP), Hawaii in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Kailua (CDP), Hawaii itself moved −5.9 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

21,818 residents (±2,034)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19†
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 men (−2.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

21,818 residents (±2,034)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

White40%8,749
Black0.2%†42
Hispanic or Latino8.3%1,816

Education

15,887 residents (±1,350)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

No high school diploma8.9%1,412
High school or GED26%4,143
Some college20%3,230

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

7,598 households (±565)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

Under $25k11%802
$25k–50k14%†1,091
$50k–75k16%1,219
$75k–100k17%1,318
$100k–150k17%1,327
$150k–200k9.7%740
$200k or more14%1,101

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+9.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

7,598 households (±565)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

Own67%5,090
Rent33%2,508

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+13.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

2,383 households (±382)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

Under $7506.3%†151
$750–1,0005.7%†137
$1,000–1,50020%†474

Home values

5,090 homes (±495)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

Under $150k5.0%†252
$150k–250k4.4%†225
$250k–400k10%†520

Age of homes

9,923 homes (±537)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

2010 or later6.6%658
2000–200917%1,736
1980–199937%3,691

Size of homes

9,923 homes (±537)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

Studio5.9%†585
1 bedroom20%1,959
2 bedrooms37%3,629

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

9,936 workers (±1,019)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

Drive alone62%6,169
Carpool22%†2,227
Public transit0.4%†38
Walk2.1%†210
Bike0.7%†66
Work from home10%†1,015
Other2.1%†211

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−9.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

8,921 workers (±938)

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii
Hawaii share

Under 15 min40%3,535
15–29 min31%2,755
30–44 min21%†1,840

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Hilo-Kailua, HI

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Business figures are unavailable right now. Please try again shortly.

Federal contracts performed here

This section could not be loaded right now. Reload the page to try again.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Kailua is mostly in Hawaii County.

See federal money in Hawaii County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Kailua (CDP), Hawaii is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jill N. TokudaD-HI-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 0.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Hawaii County58100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Hilo-Kailua, HI62

Other cities and towns in Hawaii County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1523000