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.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 8.70% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. 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. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

In Waialua, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 34.66 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average.

The overall education level of Waialua is somewhat higher than in the average US city of 21.84%: 28.29% of adults 25 and older in the town have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Waialua in 2022 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.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Waialua's cultural character, accounting for 17.52% of the town’s population.

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