About Wailea-Makena

Wailea-Makena is a somewhat small coastal town (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of Hawaii. With a population of 5,540 people and just one neighborhood, Wailea-Makena is the 35th largest community in Hawaii.

Wailea-Makena is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 87.57% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Wailea-Makena is a town of sales and office workers, service providers, and professionals. There are especially a lot of people living in Wailea-Makena who work in sales jobs (16.19%), food service (13.54%), and management occupations (12.18%).

Of important note, Wailea-Makena is also a town of artists. Wailea-Makena has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Wailea-Makena's character.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their homes - 9.29% 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.

Wailea-Makena is a major vacation destination. Much of the town's population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependant on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Wailea-Makena's population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.

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

Despite the fact that Wailea-Makena is a relatively small town, the public transit system is fairly well used to commute to work. Many people choose to use the subway, often traveling to the central city in the region.

Wailea-Makena Information and Demographics

The population of Wailea-Makena is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 14.96% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 37.54% of adults in Wailea-Makena have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Wailea-Makena in 2000 was $35,342, which is wealthy relative to Hawaii and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $141,368 for a family of four.

Wailea-Makena is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Wailea-Makena home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Wailea-Makena is White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Wailea-Makena include German, English, Irish, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, and Scottish.

The languages spoken by people in Wailea-Makena are also diverse. These are tabulated as the languages people preferentially speak when they are at home with their families. The most common language spoken in Wailea-Makena is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish, Japanese, and German.