Is being in an area of Hawaii that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Urban Honolulu and East Honolulu, while others want peace and quiet like in Heeia and Kahaluu-Keauhou, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Hawaii have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Aloha State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Hawaii For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Hawaii for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Ocean Pointe ranks as the fastest-growing city in Hawaii. If you happen to be a resident of Ocean Pointe, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Hawaii grow like weeds.
For more Hawaii state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Hawaii
- Cheapest Places To Live In Hawaii
- Worst Places To Live In Hawaii
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Hawaii For 2026
1. Ocean Pointe
/10
Population: 17,085
Population 2010: 6,078
Percent Growth 181.1%
Absolute Growth: 11,007
More on Ocean Pointe: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Kapolei
/10
Population: 22,232
Population 2010: 12,043
Percent Growth 84.6%
Absolute Growth: 10,189
More on Kapolei: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Iroquois Point
/10
Population: 5,158
Population 2010: 2,851
Percent Growth 80.9%
Absolute Growth: 2,307
More on Iroquois Point: Data | Movers
4. Hawaiian Paradise Park
/10
Population: 13,203
Population 2010: 7,842
Percent Growth 68.4%
Absolute Growth: 5,361
More on Hawaiian Paradise Park: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County)
/10
Population: 21,818
Population 2010: 13,059
Percent Growth 67.1%
Absolute Growth: 8,759
More on Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County): Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Kahaluu-Keauhou
/10
Population: 5,150
Population 2010: 3,187
Percent Growth 61.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,963
More on Kahaluu-Keauhou: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Maili
/10
Population: 11,570
Population 2010: 8,065
Percent Growth 43.5%
Absolute Growth: 3,505
More on Maili: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Schofield Barracks
/10
Population: 16,270
Population 2010: 12,044
Percent Growth 35.1%
Absolute Growth: 4,226
More on Schofield Barracks: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Hickam Housing
/10
Population: 9,425
Population 2010: 7,011
Percent Growth 34.4%
Absolute Growth: 2,414
More on Hickam Housing: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Makaha
/10
Population: 10,066
Population 2010: 7,713
Percent Growth 30.5%
Absolute Growth: 2,353
More on Makaha: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Aloha State for 2026
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2024)
We ranked all 55 Hawaii cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Aloha State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in Hawaii.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Hawaii with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Hawaii, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Hawaii are led by Ocean Pointe which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Hawaii are Ocean Pointe, Kapolei, Iroquois Point, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Kailua CDP (Hawaii County), Kahaluu-Keauhou, Maili, Schofield Barracks, Hickam Housing, and Makaha.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Waipio
- Ahuimanu
- Royal Kunia
For more Hawaii reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Hawaii For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean Pointe | 17,085 | 6,078 | 181.1% | 11,007 |
| 2 | Kapolei | 22,232 | 12,043 | 84.6% | 10,189 |
| 3 | Iroquois Point | 5,158 | 2,851 | 80.9% | 2,307 |
| 4 | Hawaiian Paradise Park | 13,203 | 7,842 | 68.4% | 5,361 |
| 5 | Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County) | 21,818 | 13,059 | 67.1% | 8,759 |
| 6 | Kahaluu-Keauhou | 5,150 | 3,187 | 61.6% | 1,963 |
| 7 | Maili | 11,570 | 8,065 | 43.5% | 3,505 |
| 8 | Schofield Barracks | 16,270 | 12,044 | 35.1% | 4,226 |
| 9 | Hickam Housing | 9,425 | 7,011 | 34.4% | 2,414 |
| 10 | Makaha | 10,066 | 7,713 | 30.5% | 2,353 |