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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Kailua, HI
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Kailua profile


Living in Kailua



Kailua is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Hawaii. With a population of 40,514 people and 16 associated neighborhoods, Kailua is the sixth largest community in Hawaii.

Kailua home prices are not only among the most expensive in Hawaii, but Kailua real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

There are quite a few people in the armed forces living in Kailua, and when you visit or drive around town, you will see military people in and out of uniform, shopping, enjoying life, and being part of the community.

Also of interest is that Kailua has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 9.98% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Kailua is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

One downside of living in Kailua is that it can take a long time to commute to work. In Kailua, the average commute to work is 31.62 minutes, which is quite a bit higher than the national average.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Kailua. 51.70% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Kailua in 2022 was $57,727, which is wealthy relative to Hawaii and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $230,908 for a family of four.

Kailua is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Kailua home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Kailua residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Kailua include German, Irish, English, Italian, and Portuguese.

The most common language spoken in Kailua is English. Other important languages spoken here include Japanese and Spanish.