The 10 Most Diverse Cities In Hawaii For 2021


We used data and science to determine the most diverse cities in Hawaii.

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Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2021. This is our seventh time ranking the most diverse places in Hawaii.


Most Diverse Cities In Hawaii

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Race relations in America seem to be hitting a tipping point.

While we still haven't dealt with racism as a society, the election of Donald Trump to the presidency has only flamed the tensions that have been mounting for years.

Part of the reason for that tension? The country as a whole continues to self segregate across race, income, and party lines. But it's not all bad on the race relations front.

There are parts of Hawaii where there's a high level of diversity -- where people of all walks of life come together. We decided to shine a light on those places today.

Using a standard measure of diversity, we ranked all 59 cities in Hawaii from most to least diverse.

Here are the 10 most diverse places in Hawaii for 2021:

  1. Kailua CDP (Hawaii County)
  2. Makakilo
  3. Wailuku
  4. Maili
  5. Kapolei
  6. Makaha
  7. Wahiawa
  8. Waihee-Waiehu
  9. Kalaheo
  10. Ocean Pointe

So what city is the most diverse in Hawaii? According to the most Census data, Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County) took the number one over all spot for diversity in Hawaii.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. To see where Hawaii ranked as a state, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in Ameria.

And if you already knew these places were diverse, check out:

The 10 Most Diverse Places In Hawaii For 2021

Source: Public Domain
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 15,231

HHI: 2,103
% White: 29.3%
% African American: 0.3%
% Asian: 20.1%
More on Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County): PhotosData

Makakilo, HI

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 19,775

HHI: 2,157
% White: 21.0%
% African American: 5.1%
% Asian: 32.4%
More on Makakilo: PhotosData

Wailuku, HI

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 17,708

HHI: 2,176
% White: 18.7%
% African American: 0.7%
% Asian: 30.0%
More on Wailuku: PhotosData

Maili, HI

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 11,437

HHI: 2,188
% White: 10.3%
% African American: 1.3%
% Asian: 15.5%
More on Maili: PhotosData

Kapolei, HI

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 21,674

HHI: 2,265
% White: 11.6%
% African American: 1.4%
% Asian: 30.5%
More on Kapolei: PhotosData

Makaha, HI

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 8,404

HHI: 2,283
% White: 14.9%
% African American: 3.0%
% Asian: 7.0%
More on Makaha: PhotosData

Wahiawa, HI

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 17,122

HHI: 2,313
% White: 13.3%
% African American: 1.5%
% Asian: 35.1%
More on Wahiawa: PhotosData

Waihee-Waiehu, HI

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 9,319

HHI: 2,320
% White: 14.8%
% African American: 0.2%
% Asian: 33.6%
More on Waihee-Waiehu: PhotosData

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 5,487

HHI: 2,345
% White: 33.4%
% African American: 0.0%
% Asian: 24.1%
More on Kalaheo: Data

Ocean Pointe, HI

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 14,989

HHI: 2,348
% White: 26.5%
% African American: 3.9%
% Asian: 32.9%
More on Ocean Pointe: PhotosData

How we determined the most diverse cities in Hawaii for 2021

We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Hawaii.

That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2015-2019 American Community Survey data from the US Census.

Specifically, we looked at table B03002: HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:

  • White alone*
  • Black or African American alone*
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
  • Asian alone*
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
  • Some other race alone*
  • Two or more races*
  • Hispanic or Latino
* Not hispanic or latino

We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 59 cities.

We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 2,103 (Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County)) to 4,862 (Wailea).

Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County) took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Wailea was the least diverse city. You can download the data here.

Read on for more information on how the cities in Hawaii ranked for diversity or, for a more general take on diversity in america, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.

There You Have It - Diversity Across Hawaii

If you're looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across Hawaii, this is an accurate list.

If you're curious enough, here are the least diverse places in Hawaii:

  1. Wailea
  2. Waipahu
  3. Ewa Villages

For more Hawaii reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Most Diverse Cities In Hawaii For 2021

Rank City Population HHI
1 Kailua Cdp (Hawaii County), HI 15,231 2,103
2 Makakilo, HI 19,775 2,157
3 Wailuku, HI 17,708 2,176
4 Maili, HI 11,437 2,188
5 Kapolei, HI 21,674 2,265
6 Makaha, HI 8,404 2,283
7 Wahiawa, HI 17,122 2,313
8 Waihee-Waiehu, HI 9,319 2,320
9 Kalaheo, HI 5,487 2,345
10 Ocean Pointe, HI 14,989 2,348
11 Makawao, HI 7,341 2,383
12 Laie, HI 5,704 2,387
13 Hilo, HI 45,056 2,388
14 Waimea Cdp (Hawaii County), HI 11,908 2,393
15 Waimanalo, HI 5,538 2,401
16 Hawaiian Paradise Park, HI 11,202 2,408
17 Ahuimanu, HI 8,023 2,425
18 Waianae, HI 13,609 2,434
19 Pukalani, HI 7,695 2,482
20 Waipio Acres, HI 5,451 2,497
21 Lahaina, HI 12,776 2,501
22 Hawaiian Ocean View, HI 5,011 2,508
23 Kalaoa, HI 11,729 2,570
24 Hawaiian Beaches, HI 5,320 2,571
25 Ewa Gentry, HI 25,641 2,619
26 Kaneohe, HI 33,841 2,627
27 Waikoloa Village, HI 6,549 2,715
28 Waikele, HI 7,442 2,746
29 Schofield Barracks, HI 19,499 2,793
30 Lihue, HI 7,267 2,795
31 Kihei, HI 22,402 2,805
32 Kapaa, HI 10,580 2,806
33 Napili-Honokowai, HI 6,739 2,903
34 Kailua Cdp (Honolulu County), HI 37,586 2,907
35 Mililani Town, HI 27,562 2,920
36 Wailua Homesteads, HI 6,117 2,922
37 Halawa, HI 14,453 2,952
38 Waimalu, HI 14,043 2,989
39 Kula, HI 7,621 3,151
40 Aiea, HI 9,638 3,170
41 Nanakuli, HI 11,461 3,193
42 Haiku-Pauwela, HI 8,987 3,272
43 East Honolulu, HI 47,540 3,297
44 Kahului, HI 31,336 3,310
45 Urban Honolulu, HI 348,985 3,311
46 Pearl City, HI 45,605 3,315
47 Holualoa, HI 9,688 3,321
48 Ewa Beach, HI 14,479 3,413
49 Hanamaulu, HI 5,150 3,454
50 Hickam Housing, HI 9,387 3,602
51 Mililani Mauka, HI 20,090 3,612
52 Waipio, HI 11,469 3,617
53 West Loch Estate, HI 6,139 3,620
54 Kahaluu-Keauhou, HI 5,291 3,991
55 Royal Kunia, HI 14,565 4,244
56 Kaneohe Station, HI 11,289 4,403
57 Ewa Villages, HI 6,585 4,571
58 Waipahu, HI 39,469 4,704
59 Wailea, HI 6,218 4,862

How Is The Area In ?

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.