Waialua is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Hawaii. With a population of 4,062 people and two associated neighborhoods, Waialua is the 34th largest community in Hawaii.

Housing costs in Waialua are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Hawaii.

A relatively large number of people in Waialua telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 8.70% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Waialua is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

One downside of living in Waialua, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 34.66 minutes every day commuting to work.

In terms of college education, Waialua is somewhat better educated than the 21.84% who have a 4-year degree or higher in the typical US community: 28.29% of adults 25 and older in the town have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Waialua in 2018 was $36,044, which is middle income relative to Hawaii, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $144,176 for a family of four. However, Waialua contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Waialua is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Waialua home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Waialua residents report their race to be Asian, followed by White. Waialua also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 13.04% of the town’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Waialua include Irish, Portuguese, German, Italian, and English.

Waialua also has a high percentage of its population that was born in another country: 17.52%.

The most common language spoken in Waialua is English. Other important languages spoken here include Pacific Island languages and Tagalog.