The Town Files

Waipio, Hawaii

Community in Honolulu County · population 12,082 (2020 Census)

Map: where Waipio is in HawaiiWaipio
Median home
$749,500
Household income
$109,877
Jan low / Jul high
61° / 82°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
11
Median age
45.9

Waipio is a community of 12,082 people in Honolulu County, Hawaii. The median home is worth $749,500, below the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). It ranks more vibrant than 96% of Hawaii towns, more walkable than 93% of Hawaii towns, more of a college town than 88% of Hawaii towns.

Waipio in our rankings:

How Waipio ranks

Percentile among Hawaii towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Hawaii towns.

Waipio lifestyle rankings vs other Hawaii townsRetirement22nd pctFamilies50th pctQuiet18th pctWalkability93rd pctFirst-time buyers56th pctYoung professionals34th pctVibrancy96th pctHip & trendy55th pctCollege town88th pctUpscale61st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling76th pctTransit79th pctDriving65th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Waipio is worth $749,500, below the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). Homes cost about 6.8 times the median household income of $109,877, which is more affordable than 69% of Hawaii towns. Median rent is $2,219 a month. 71.1% of households own their home.

Waipio vs Honolulu County vs typical Hawaii townWaipioHonolulu CountyTypical Hawaii townHome value$749,500$897,500$802,600Household income$109,877$106,195$95,243Monthly rent$2,219$2,083$1,931
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Hawaii towns with 500+ people.
HousingWaipioTypical Hawaii town
Median home value$749,500$802,600
Median rent$2,219$1,931
Median household income$109,877$95,243
Home value ÷ income6.8×7.7×
Homeownership71.1%71.0%
Median year built19841983
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Waipio

PeopleWaipioTypical Hawaii town
Median age45.942.2
Age 65 and over24.9%21.1%
Under 1819.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher29.3%30.4%
Below the poverty line5.7%10.1%
Veterans10.3%—
Born outside the U.S.19.2%—
Work from home8.1%8.1%
Average commute27.4 min29.1 min
Homes with broadband94.1%93.2%

Weather in Waipio

July highs average 81.5°F and January lows 60.6°F. About 64.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Hawaii town: 0.0 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Waipio monthly temperatures and precipitation60°70°80°90°76°61°Jan76°60°Feb77°62°Mar77°63°Apr79°65°May80°67°Jun82°67°Jul83°68°Aug83°67°Sep82°66°Oct79°65°Nov77°63°DecPrecipitation (in)5.24.36.35.64.34.25.24.04.65.87.17.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Upper Wahiawa 874.3 station (6.0 mi away); snow from Aiea Hts 764.6 (5.7 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waipio since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Hawaii town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on March 18, 1982 about 6.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 23, 2015.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Waipio by decade11950s11960s21970s41980s01990s22000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on March 23, 2023.

Severe weather in Honolulu County since 1996

Storm events in Honolulu County since 1996 by typeFlood85Drought149Wildfire79High Surf1,434High Wind88Lightning12Heavy Rain571Waterspout13
NOAA Storm Events Database, Honolulu County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 14 deaths recorded.

Honolulu County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tsunami.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 7, 2026HurricaneDR-4951: Hurricane Lala
September 25, 2026Tropical StormEM-3654: Tropical Storm Nolo
April 7, 2026FloodDR-4909: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
August 19, 2025FireFM-5609: Kunia Road Fire
February 15, 2022Severe StormDR-4639: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides

Jobs and pay in Honolulu County

Honolulu County had 453,193 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,851 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Waipio itself the ACS puts it at 2.9%.

Largest industries in Honolulu CountyHotels & restaurants63,590 jobs · $42,145Health care & social assistan…56,169 jobs · $76,763Retail41,501 jobs · $44,589Construction27,772 jobs · $95,804Administrative & support25,813 jobs · $51,512Transportation & warehousing22,587 jobs · $83,123
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Honolulu County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Honolulu 2.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Waipio

Waipio questions

Is Waipio, Hawaii a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Waipio scores better for retirees than 22% of Hawaii towns and quieter than 18%. 24.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.9).

How much does a house cost in Waipio?

The median owner-occupied home in Waipio is valued at $749,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $109,877, so homes cost about 6.8 times income. Median rent is $2,219 a month.

What is the weather like in Waipio?

July highs average 81.5°F and January lows 60.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 64.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Waipio get tornadoes?

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waipio since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on March 18, 1982. The typical Hawaii town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Waipio's Census boundary (GEOID 1579860). Comparisons use the median of Hawaii towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.