Gayest places in Hawaii research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to research the cities in Hawaii with the highest percent of same-sex households for 2026. The data comes from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year vintage, which counts same-sex married spouses and same-sex unmarried partners at the city level.
7.1% gay households · #1 gayest in Hawaii
4.6% gay households · #2 gayest in Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
4.0% gay households · #3 gayest in Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
3.3% gay households · #4 gayest in Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
3.1% gay households · #5 gayest in Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
2.8% gay households · #6 gayest in Hawaii
Located in
Honolulu County, Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
2.8% gay households · #7 gayest in Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
2.7% gay households · #8 gayest in Hawaii
Located in
Honolulu County, Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
2.7% gay households · #9 gayest in Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
2.6% gay households · #10 gayest in Hawaii
Located in
Honolulu County, Hawaii
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Hawaii’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Hawaii’s LGBTQ households are
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the gayest places in Hawaii for 2026
In order to rank the gayest cities in Hawaii, we used Saturday Night Science and the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census. We looked at:
- Percentage of all households that are unmarried, same-sex partners
We limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 1,000 households.
We ranked each place from 1 to 72 with the city containing the highest percentage of unmarried, same-sex partner households being the most gay.
In the end, Orchidlands Estates ended up being the most gay place with 7.1% gay households.
Skip to the end to see the list of all the places in the state from gayest to straightest.
We updated this report for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the gayest places in Hawaii.
The full plate
Gayest Places In Hawaii
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Households | LGBTQ Households | % Gay Households |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchidlands Estates | 1,106 | 79 | 7.1% |
| 2 | Waialua | 1,092 | 50 | 4.6% |
| 3 | Hawaiian Ocean View | 1,910 | 77 | 4.0% |
| 4 | Lanai City | 1,226 | 41 | 3.3% |
| 5 | Heeia | 1,600 | 49 | 3.1% |
| 6 | Makakilo | 6,200 | 174 | 2.8% |
| 7 | Waimanalo Beach | 1,217 | 34 | 2.8% |
| 8 | Ewa Gentry | 8,130 | 216 | 2.7% |
| 9 | Waikoloa Village | 2,523 | 67 | 2.7% |
| 10 | Ahuimanu | 2,895 | 75 | 2.6% |
| 11 | Kahaluu | 1,612 | 39 | 2.4% |
| 12 | Nanakuli | 3,071 | 70 | 2.3% |
| 13 | Maili | 3,049 | 65 | 2.1% |
| 14 | Ewa Villages | 1,943 | 39 | 2.0% |
| 15 | Puhi | 1,190 | 22 | 1.8% |
| 16 | Kailua CDP (Hawaii County) | 7,598 | 140 | 1.8% |
| 17 | Wailuku | 6,273 | 113 | 1.8% |
| 18 | Wailea | 2,946 | 51 | 1.7% |
| 19 | Hilo | 17,750 | 303 | 1.7% |
| 20 | Iroquois Point | 1,422 | 23 | 1.6% |
| 21 | Napili-Honokowai | 2,536 | 41 | 1.6% |
| 22 | Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) | 13,641 | 220 | 1.6% |
| 23 | Hawaiian Acres | 1,409 | 22 | 1.6% |
| 24 | Kalaheo | 1,688 | 26 | 1.5% |
| 25 | Urban Honolulu | 136,902 | 2,069 | 1.5% |
| 26 | Waipahu | 9,282 | 132 | 1.4% |
| 27 | Pearl City | 14,963 | 204 | 1.4% |
| 28 | Kihei | 8,182 | 108 | 1.3% |
| 29 | Makaha | 3,256 | 42 | 1.3% |
| 30 | Ocean Pointe | 5,500 | 64 | 1.2% |
| 31 | Haleiwa | 1,723 | 20 | 1.2% |
| 32 | Kahului | 8,330 | 93 | 1.1% |
| 33 | Mililani Mauka | 7,525 | 81 | 1.1% |
| 34 | Kaneohe | 11,545 | 121 | 1.0% |
| 35 | East Honolulu | 17,889 | 186 | 1.0% |
| 36 | West Loch Estate | 1,554 | 15 | 1.0% |
| 37 | Kapolei | 6,906 | 64 | 0.9% |
| 38 | Makawao | 2,641 | 24 | 0.9% |
| 39 | Halawa | 4,868 | 44 | 0.9% |
| 40 | Lahaina | 2,960 | 26 | 0.9% |
| 41 | Royal Kunia | 4,138 | 36 | 0.9% |
| 42 | Kahaluu-Keauhou | 1,912 | 15 | 0.8% |
| 43 | Pukalani | 2,942 | 22 | 0.7% |
| 44 | Ewa Beach | 3,385 | 25 | 0.7% |
| 45 | Lihue | 2,652 | 19 | 0.7% |
| 46 | Waimalu | 5,781 | 41 | 0.7% |
| 47 | Hickam Housing | 2,618 | 18 | 0.7% |
| 48 | Schofield Barracks | 3,782 | 24 | 0.6% |
| 49 | Mililani Town | 9,691 | 59 | 0.6% |
| 50 | Haiku-Pauwela | 3,337 | 19 | 0.6% |
| 51 | Wahiawa | 6,108 | 31 | 0.5% |
| 52 | Kula | 2,494 | 12 | 0.5% |
| 53 | Kapaa | 3,647 | 15 | 0.4% |
| 54 | Waikele | 2,999 | 12 | 0.4% |
| 55 | Waimea CDP (Hawaii County) | 3,530 | 12 | 0.3% |
| 56 | Waipio | 4,145 | 14 | 0.3% |
| 57 | Waipio Acres | 1,863 | 6 | 0.3% |
| 58 | Waianae | 3,446 | 11 | 0.3% |
| 59 | Pupukea | 1,585 | 5 | 0.3% |
| 60 | Hawaiian Paradise Park | 4,905 | 14 | 0.3% |
| 61 | Waimanalo | 1,468 | 4 | 0.3% |
| 62 | Waikapu | 1,128 | 3 | 0.3% |
| 63 | Waihee-Waiehu | 2,799 | 7 | 0.3% |
| 64 | Kaunakakai | 1,236 | 3 | 0.2% |
| 65 | Kekaha | 1,057 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 66 | Wailua Homesteads | 1,967 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 67 | Hanamaulu | 1,191 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 68 | Wailua | 1,002 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 69 | Mountain View | 1,304 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 70 | Hawaiian Beaches | 1,552 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 71 | Aiea | 2,913 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 72 | Ainaloa | 1,610 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. Places with over 1,000 households.
Summary
There You Have It – The Most LGBT Friendly Cities In Hawaii For 2026
If you’re looking at the number of gay households in Hawaii, this is an accurate list.
The gayest cities in Hawaii are Orchidlands Estates, Waialua, Hawaiian Ocean View, Lanai City, Heeia, Makakilo, Waimanalo Beach, Ewa Gentry, Waikoloa Village, and Ahuimanu. Not sold on Hawaii? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Gayest Places In Hawaii FAQs
What is the gayest city in Hawaii?
Orchidlands Estates is the gayest place in Hawaii for 2026, with same-sex couples making up 7.1% of households. Waialua and Hawaiian Ocean View are next.
What are the gayest places in Hawaii?
The gayest places in Hawaii are Orchidlands Estates, Waialua, Hawaiian Ocean View, Lanai City, Heeia, Makakilo, Waimanalo Beach, Ewa Gentry, Waikoloa Village, and Ahuimanu. We ranked all 72 places with over 1,000 households by their share of same-sex partner households.
How do you measure the gayest places?
The Census does not ask about sexual orientation, so we use the closest thing it tracks: the share of households headed by same-sex partners, from the American Community Survey. It undercounts single LGBT residents, but it is consistent from place to place.
What is the straightest place in Hawaii?
Ainaloa is the straightest place in Hawaii by this measure, with same-sex couples at 0.0% of households. It anchors the other end of the ranking.
Does a town have to be big to make the list?
No. Any Hawaii place with more than 1,000 households qualifies, and 72 made the cut this year. Small towns can and do out-rank the big cities on this one.
