Waimea (Hawaii County), Hawaii Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Waimea (Hawaii County) is a small city located in Hawaii, within Hawaii County. The total population is 9,286. It ranks as the 36th most populous out of 163 Census-designated places in Hawaii.

Age Demographics

The median age in Waimea (Hawaii County) is 42.5 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Waimea (Hawaii County) is $100,198. This is about the same as the state median of $100,389. It is also 24% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.3%. This is 23% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.0%. The unemployment rate is 5.4%. This is 10% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $677,400. Housing costs are 19% lower than the state median of $839,100. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.8x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 73.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 16% higher than the state average of 63.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Waimea (Hawaii County) is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Asian residents account for 18.0%. The Black or African American population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 1.8%. The Asian population (18.0%) is well below the state average of 36.4%.

Education

41.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 15% higher than the state rate of 36.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.0%. Notably, 20.6% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Waimea (Hawaii County), Hawaii is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Hawaii state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 163 Census-designated places in Hawaii. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.