Census-designated place · Kauai County, Hawaii

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii

Wailua Homesteads is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, part of the Kapaa, HI metro area. It has 5,431 residents. Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii has a quality-of-life score of 79 out of 100 (high), ranking #3,259 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Hawaii it ranks #33 of 125 cities and towns. It ranks best on effective property tax rate (low), arts, entertainment and recreation (high) and time spent in the emergency room (low). It ranks worst on distance to an Amtrak station (high), home price to income ratio (high) and hospital quality rating (low).

79High

Quality-of-life score: #3,259 of 15,651 cities and towns
Hawaii: #33 of 125 in HI
Population: 5,431 (2020-2024)
Land area: 7 mi²
Density: 743.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 1577225

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 67 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.

Safety65#5,424/15,637
Economy67#5,153/15,631
Housing10#13,537/14,977
Health90#1,496/15,609
Healthcare69#4,903/15,650
Environment—
Education64#5,683/15,649
Infrastructure81#3,052/15,650
Community68#4,980/15,651
Leisure & amenities96#547/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Kauai 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 · low0.24%
99/100Hawaii 0.29%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high14.0 /10k
98/100Hawaii 6.8 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsKauai County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low96 min
97/100Hawaii 122 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesKauai County value
Restaurants and bars · high16.8 /10k
97/100Hawaii 12.5 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsKauai County value
Firearm deaths · low3.0 /100k
96/100Hawaii 3.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataKauai County value
Life expectancy · high82.1 yrs
95/100Hawaii 81.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteKauai County value

Weaknesses

Distance to an Amtrak station · high2,455 mi
0/100Hawaii 2,391 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauKauai County value
Home price to income ratio · high10.5×
1/100Hawaii 8.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Hospital quality rating · low2.0
9/100Hawaii 3.2United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesKauai County value
Rent-burdened households · high54.8%
12/100Hawaii 56.7%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · high37.5%
13/100Hawaii 33.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Natural hazard risk · high86.6
13/100Hawaii 93.22025Federal Emergency Management AgencyKauai County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
6,117 (2015-2019) → 5,431 (2020-2024)
−11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Home price to income ratioWorsening
6.7× (2015-2019) → 10.5× (2020-2024)
+57%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.337 (2015-2019) → 0.455 (2020-2024)
+35%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
30.5% (2015-2019) → 37.5% (2020-2024)
+7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
8.3% (2015-2019) → 2.8% (2020-2024)
−5.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Poverty rateWorsening
4.9% (2015-2019) → 9.9% (2020-2024)
+5 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, Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 10 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined2

Price / income+3.8×6.7× → 10.5×
Inequality+0.1180.337 → 0.455

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.7 min2015-2019	23.4 min2020-2024	−1.3 min	Within the margin of error	63%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.9%2015-2019	37.2%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Broadband subscriptions	92.5%2015-2019	95.2%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Effective property tax rate	0.30%2015-2019	0.24%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	28%
High school diploma or higher	97.1%2015-2019	92.1%2020-2024	−4.9 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Home price to income ratio	6.7×2015-2019	10.5×2020-2024	+3.8×	Declined	0%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3372015-2019	0.4552020-2024	+0.118	Declined	3%
Median household income	$92,2352015-2019	$89,7172020-2024	−2.7%	Within the margin of error	6%
Poverty rate	4.9%2015-2019	9.9%2020-2024	+5 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Rent as share of income	30.5%2015-2019	37.5%2020-2024	+7 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Rent-burdened households	50.5%2015-2019	54.8%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Unemployment rate	6.1%2015-2019	3.8%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	85%

“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 Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Wailua Homesteads, 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, Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii itself moved −15.8 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

5,431 residents (±920)

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: Under 10 women (+5.6 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

5,431 residents (±920)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

White47%2,539
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino9.5%†518
Asian24%†1,310
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander6.9%†376
Other or two or more races13%†688

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

4,109 residents (±643)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

No high school diploma7.9%†324
High school or GED19%†772
Some college26%1,077
Associate degree9.9%†406
Bachelor's degree28%1,163
Graduate degree8.9%†367

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: High school or GED (−9.4 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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

1,967 households (±337)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

Under $25k6.5%†127
$25k–50k7.1%†140
$50k–75k26%†509
$75k–100k16%†311
$100k–150k12%†240
$150k–200k14%†271
$200k or more19%†369

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (−15.1 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

1,967 households (±337)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

Own72%1,417
Rent28%†550

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

542 households (±225)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

Under $7507.6%†41
$750–1,0001.7%†9
$1,000–1,50015%†79

Home values

1,417 homes (±278)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

Under $150k0.8%†11
$150k–250k0.0%0
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

2,294 homes (±326)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

2010 or later4.1%†95
2000–200915%†337
1980–199936%†826

Size of homes

2,294 homes (±326)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

Studio7.8%†178
1 bedroom4.9%†113
2 bedrooms19%†430

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

2,756 workers (±477)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

Drive alone64%1,755
Carpool18%†487
Public transit0.9%†24
Walk0.8%†22
Bike0.0%0
Work from home17%†468
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−15.6 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

2,288 workers (±457)

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii
Hawaii share

Under 15 min15%†346
15–29 min55%1,252
30–44 min22%492

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 Kapaa, 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.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Kauai County, the county holding most of Wailua Homesteads's residents.

Kauai County has 2,281 employer establishments, 310 for every 10,000 residents (1.25× the US rate of 248; 1.35× Hawaii's), with 27,099 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,587. The Census Bureau also counts 7,720 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,281; 7,720 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 310; US 248 · Hawaii 229
Paid employees: 27,099
Average annual pay: $51,587; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Kauai County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	216	29.3	1.60×More than typical	3,633	$33,246	55
Specialty trade contractors	147	20	1.29×More than typical	909	$63,264	452
Ambulatory health care services	140	19	0.91×About typical	1,157	$60,817	322
Lessors of real estate	131	17.8	1.44×More than typical	656	$67,127	771
Services to buildings and dwellings	103	14	2.07×More than typical	1,349	$25,961	959
Construction of buildings	101	13.7	1.81×More than typical	690	$94,181	233
Clothing and accessories stores	97	13.2	3.63×More than typical	682	$31,160	115
Limited-service restaurants	91	12.4	1.54×More than typical	1,121	$28,688	19
Full-service restaurants	86	11.7	1.52×More than typical	2,191	$37,009	19
Landscaping services	58	7.9	2.25×More than typical	307	$39,945	334
Traveler accommodation	53	7.2	3.99×More than typical	3,902	$59,300	40
Building equipment contractors	52	7.1	1.17×About typical	250	$60,176	101

Rank places for an industry Open Kauai County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 73,672 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $98.3K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii: $18.10 per resident (US $2,008).

Obligations: $98.3K; −18% vs FY2025
Per resident: $18.10; US $2,008
Sole-source: 8.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$90K92%
Department of the Army$8,2568.4%

Top recipients

T. ESAKI FARM, INC.$90K92%
KHS, LLC$8,2568.4%

Spending by fiscal year

108.6KFY2017
89.8KFY2018
6MFY2019
446.8KFY2020
1.7MFY2021
196.7KFY2022
128.5KFY2023
109.9KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other food manufacturing · 3119$90K92%
Traveler accommodation · 7211$8,2568.4%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii, so they do not add up across cities.

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii's figures are part of those of Kauai County, HI ($84.2M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.1% of that total.

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

See federal money in Kauai 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.

Wailua Homesteads, 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.

Kauai County86100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Kapaa, HI90

Other cities and towns in Kauai 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/1577225

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends