Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), East Honolulu, Heeia: These cities aren’t just some of the best places to live in Hawaii. They are also home to some of the richest people in the Aloha State.
Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) in particular houses the richest residents in the state thanks, in part, to a median household income of $138,363 and a ridiculously low poverty rate of 4.166666666666666%.
If you’re thinking of moving to one of these towns, you’ll probably need to start saving. The richest places in Hawaii share common characteristics such as having a genius level populous, sky high home prices, and a Pleasantville level of married couples.
How did we come up with these mega wealthy cities? We analyzed Census data from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey for the 76 places in Hawaii with more than 3,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Richest Places In Hawaii For 2024
For more on how we calculated the top ten, read on or skip to the end for the full list of the richest cities in Hawaii.
Rich people not your cup of tea? Feel free to check out some more reading about Hawaii:
The 10 Richest Cities In Hawaii For 2024
1. Kailua CDP (Honolulu County)
/10
Population: 40,323
Median Income: $138,363
Median Home Values: $1,311,939
More on Kailua Cdp (Honolulu County): Data | Real Estate
2. East Honolulu
/10
Population: 49,491
Median Income: $151,224
Median Home Values: $1,212,724
More on East Honolulu: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Heeia
/10
Population: 4,786
Median Income: $143,214
Median Home Values: $1,221,951
More on Heeia: Data | Real Estate
4. Kahaluu
/10
Population: 5,065
Median Income: $123,365
Median Home Values: $1,229,332
More on Kahaluu: Data | Real Estate
5. Waimanalo
/10
Population: 5,743
Median Income: $127,143
Median Home Values: $974,481
More on Waimanalo: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Mililani Mauka
/10
Population: 21,546
Median Income: $132,043
Median Home Values: $925,717
More on Mililani Mauka: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Kaneohe
/10
Population: 35,493
Median Income: $120,451
Median Home Values: $1,031,688
More on Kaneohe: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Laie
/10
Population: 5,411
Median Income: $108,965
Median Home Values: $1,277,549
More on Laie: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Ahuimanu
/10
Population: 9,177
Median Income: $124,018
Median Home Values: $915,947
More on Ahuimanu: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Ocean Pointe
/10
Population: 16,173
Median Income: $136,540
Median Home Values: $868,619
More on Ocean Pointe: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Richest Places In Hawaii For 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the richest places is simply identifying personal incomes. After all, rich people have really high salaries.
However, we don’t believe that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “richest places.” So we looked at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey and applied Saturday Night Science:
- Median Home Values
- Median Household Income
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is. And home values are a measure of wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After we collected the data for all 76 places with more than 3,000 people in Hawaii, we ranked each place from 1 to 76 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the richest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Rich Score,” with the place having the lowest overall Rich Score, Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), crowned the “Richest City In Hawaii For 2024.”
The data has been updated for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the wealthiest cities in Hawaii.
You can skip to the end to see the rankings for all 76 places.
Summary: The Wealthiest Places In Hawaii For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the richest places in Hawaii, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Hawaii.
The richest cities in Hawaii are Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), East Honolulu, Heeia, Kahaluu, Waimanalo, Mililani Mauka, Kaneohe, Laie, Ahuimanu, and Ocean Pointe.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very top of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the poorest cities in Hawaii, according to data:
Poorest: Hawaiian Ocean View
2nd Poorest: Hawaiian Beaches
3rd Poorest: Schofield Barracks
For more Hawaii reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Richest Cities In Hawaii
| Rank | City | RichScore | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kailua Cdp (Honolulu County) | 3.5 | $138,363 | $1,311,939 |
| 2 | East Honolulu | 5.5 | $151,224 | $1,212,724 |
| 3 | Heeia | 5.5 | $143,214 | $1,221,951 |
| 4 | Kahaluu | 10.0 | $123,365 | $1,229,332 |
| 5 | Waimanalo | 13.0 | $127,143 | $974,481 |
| 6 | Mililani Mauka | 14.0 | $132,043 | $925,717 |
| 7 | Kaneohe | 14.0 | $120,451 | $1,031,688 |
| 8 | Laie | 17.5 | $108,965 | $1,277,549 |
| 9 | Ahuimanu | 18.0 | $124,018 | $915,947 |
| 10 | Ocean Pointe | 18.0 | $136,540 | $868,619 |
| 11 | Pukalani | 18.0 | $119,426 | $973,588 |
| 12 | Royal Kunia | 19.0 | $128,791 | $871,767 |
| 13 | Mililani Town | 20.0 | $119,502 | $918,444 |
| 14 | Makawao | 21.0 | $109,385 | $1,027,207 |
| 15 | Aiea | 21.5 | $130,507 | $840,829 |
| 16 | Pupukea | 22.0 | $99,180 | $1,290,120 |
| 17 | Kapolei | 23.0 | $121,768 | $863,723 |
| 18 | West Loch Estate | 23.5 | $119,250 | $876,218 |
| 19 | Haleiwa | 23.5 | $92,173 | $1,543,444 |
| 20 | Pearl City | 23.5 | $116,938 | $907,483 |
| 21 | Halawa | 24.0 | $100,321 | $1,052,178 |
| 22 | Kula | 24.5 | $93,452 | $1,294,723 |
| 23 | Wailea | 26.0 | $89,088 | $1,406,269 |
| 24 | Wailua Homesteads | 26.0 | $113,306 | $906,612 |
| 25 | Ewa Gentry | 27.5 | $125,300 | $776,134 |
| 26 | Kalaheo | 28.5 | $95,625 | $988,710 |
| 27 | Kilauea | 28.5 | $85,227 | $1,545,119 |
| 28 | Haiku-Pauwela | 29.0 | $94,495 | $990,304 |
| 29 | Ewa Beach | 29.5 | $114,207 | $852,428 |
| 30 | Waihee-Waiehu | 30.0 | $124,601 | $737,382 |
| 31 | Kihei | 30.0 | $89,892 | $1,082,813 |
| 32 | Kahului | 31.0 | $94,712 | $947,061 |
| 33 | Waikapu | 31.5 | $117,500 | $816,081 |
| 34 | Makakilo | 32.5 | $115,435 | $820,097 |
| 35 | Hauula | 32.5 | $108,800 | $845,532 |
| 36 | Holualoa | 33.5 | $90,385 | $947,155 |
| 37 | Captain Cook | 34.0 | $120,323 | $702,292 |
| 38 | Lahaina | 34.0 | $83,443 | $1,085,380 |
| 39 | Waimanalo Beach | 34.5 | $104,643 | $835,294 |
| 40 | Waikele | 36.5 | $115,858 | $735,211 |
| 41 | Wailuku | 36.5 | $93,908 | $872,690 |
| 42 | Napili-Honokowai | 37.0 | $101,939 | $821,834 |
| 43 | Waialua | 38.0 | $87,266 | $942,384 |
| 44 | Puhi | 39.0 | $118,676 | $611,898 |
| 45 | Kapaa | 39.5 | $87,895 | $881,980 |
| 46 | Waipahu | 42.0 | $87,961 | $861,933 |
| 47 | Waikoloa Village | 43.5 | $103,135 | $670,515 |
| 48 | Whitmore Village | 43.5 | $96,136 | $766,365 |
| 49 | Maili | 44.0 | $105,625 | $662,699 |
| 50 | Waipio | 44.5 | $99,815 | $705,468 |
| 51 | Waimea Cdp (Hawaii County) | 46.0 | $100,075 | $670,298 |
| 52 | Kahaluu-Keauhou | 46.0 | $87,472 | $824,874 |
| 53 | Ewa Villages | 48.5 | $82,903 | $826,827 |
| 54 | Hickam Housing | 50.5 | $111,139 | $0 |
| 55 | Wahiawa | 52.5 | $81,433 | $804,544 |
| 56 | Waipio Acres | 53.0 | $91,703 | $605,059 |
| 57 | Urban Honolulu | 53.0 | $82,772 | $775,104 |
| 58 | Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County) | 53.5 | $87,268 | $672,686 |
| 59 | Iroquois Point | 54.5 | $100,794 | $0 |
| 60 | Lanai City | 55.5 | $80,464 | $754,739 |
| 61 | Lihue | 56.0 | $73,641 | $815,376 |
| 62 | Waimalu | 58.0 | $85,710 | $600,174 |
| 63 | Hanamaulu | 62.0 | $74,511 | $669,321 |
| 64 | Waianae | 63.0 | $77,435 | $590,487 |
| 65 | Hawaiian Paradise Park | 63.5 | $81,236 | $464,269 |
| 66 | Nanakuli | 63.5 | $77,453 | $491,841 |
| 67 | Hilo | 65.0 | $75,589 | $489,606 |
| 68 | Kekaha | 66.0 | $70,375 | $531,353 |
| 69 | Hawaiian Acres | 67.5 | $74,851 | $341,173 |
| 70 | Kaunakakai | 69.5 | $67,083 | $423,014 |
| 71 | Makaha | 70.0 | $57,235 | $436,915 |
| 72 | Mountain View | 71.0 | $60,057 | $330,571 |
| 73 | Ainaloa | 72.5 | $48,534 | $233,925 |
| 74 | Schofield Barracks | 72.5 | $69,755 | $0 |
| 75 | Hawaiian Beaches | 74.0 | $43,707 | $226,436 |
| 76 | Hawaiian Ocean View | 74.0 | $36,462 | $228,607 |