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These Are The 10 Hardest Working Places In Hawaii

By Chris Kolmar
May. 18, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on:

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Top 10 Hardest Working Places in Hawaii (2026)
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Hawaii, known for its stunning landscapes and rich culture, is also home to some of the hardest working communities in the nation. In 2026, as we navigate a rapidly changing labor market, the importance of dedication and commitment to work remains as strong as ever. This article explores the places in the Aloha State where the work ethic truly shines.

While every corner of Hawaii embodies the spirit of hard work, there are specific areas that exemplify this ethos even more. Leading the pack is Waikele, recognized as the hardest working place in Hawaii. The locals here exhibit such commitment that even commuting feels like a full-time job!

Curious about which other locations are putting in the extra hours? Here are the top contenders for the title of hardest working places in Hawaii:

  1. Waikele
  2. Mililani Mauka
  3. Aiea
  4. Ewa Gentry
  5. Maunawili
  6. Ocean Pointe
  7. Laie
  8. East Honolulu
  9. Heeia
  10. Kaneohe Station

For those in Hawaiian Beaches, it’s time to take notes from the rest of the state!

Methodology for Ranking Hawaii’s Hardest Working Places

At Zippia, we leverage data to uncover the answers to challenging questions. Our analysis utilized the latest American Community Survey data to ensure accuracy and relevance.

To determine the hardest working places in Hawaii, we carefully selected criteria that reflect work commitment:

  • Average hours worked per week
  • Average commute time
  • Workers per household (employed labor force divided by total households)
  • Labor force participation rate
  • Percentage of adults with a college degree

Our reasoning is straightforward: those who invest time in education, seek employment actively, and work long hours are clearly dedicated. After analyzing data from all 96 places in Hawaii, we ranked each location based on our established criteria, with the lowest score indicating the “hardest working” area.

In the end, Waikele emerged as the clear leader, showcasing the dedication of its residents.

Below is a detailed chart highlighting the rankings and statistics for each area.

1. Waikele

Population: 7,868 College Graduates: 44.8%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 40.3
Workers Per Household: 1.8

2. Mililani Mauka

Population: 21,051 College Graduates: 47.6%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 40.8
Workers Per Household: 1.7

3. Aiea

Population: 9,181 College Graduates: 34.6%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 41.3
Workers Per Household: 1.8

4. Ewa Gentry

Population: 22,663 College Graduates: 29.9%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 40.7
Workers Per Household: 1.9

5. Maunawili

Population: 2,114 College Graduates: 61.7%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 39.5
Workers Per Household: 1.6

6. Ocean Pointe

Population: 10,502 College Graduates: 37.7%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 42.7
Workers Per Household: 1.8

7. Laie

Population: 5,447 College Graduates: 44.3%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 29.8
Workers Per Household: 3.1

8. East Honolulu

Population: 48,926 College Graduates: 54.2%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 39.3
Workers Per Household: 1.5

9. Heeia

Population: 4,713 College Graduates: 46.2%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 37.3
Workers Per Household: 1.7

10. Kaneohe Station

Population: 11,342 College Graduates: 25.8%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 46.7
Workers Per Household: 2.5

Complete List of Hawaii’s Hardest Working Places

City Rank Population College Graduates Average Hours Worked Per Week Workers Per Household
Waikele 1 7,868 44.8% 40.3 1.8
Mililani Mauka 2 21,051 47.6% 40.8 1.7
Aiea 3 9,181 34.6% 41.3 1.8
Ewa Gentry 4 22,663 29.9% 40.7 1.9
Maunawili 5 2,114 61.7% 39.5 1.6
Ocean Pointe 6 10,502 37.7% 42.7 1.8
Laie 7 5,447 44.3% 29.8 3.1
East Honolulu 8 48,926 54.2% 39.3 1.5
Heeia 9 4,713 46.2% 37.3 1.7
Kaneohe Station 10 11,342 25.8% 46.7 2.5
Paia 11 2,542 35.0% 37.1 1.9
Pupukea 12 5,498 40.3% 39.5 2.0
Halawa 13 14,363 27.3% 39.4 1.9
Kapolei 14 16,890 28.8% 38.3 2.0
Royal Kunia 15 14,779 24.3% 39.9 2.1
Hickam Housing 16 8,573 41.8% 42.2 1.6
Hanapepe 17 2,488 27.0% 38.5 1.8
Ahuimanu 18 8,728 43.1% 37.7 1.8
West Loch Estate 19 5,971 26.8% 37.7 2.2
Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) 20 39,353 46.2% 39.2 1.7
Kaneohe 21 33,443 33.8% 38.6 1.7
Makakilo 22 19,819 30.6% 38.8 2.0
Kalaheo 23 4,127 38.3% 39.7 1.3
Mililani Town 24 28,217 33.8% 38.2 1.7
Waipio 25 11,424 28.5% 38.7 1.7
Waimalu 26 12,680 31.6% 40.2 1.4
Eleele 27 2,723 19.4% 39.5 1.9
Pearl City 28 47,277 28.3% 39.7 1.7
Waialua 29 3,929 24.6% 41.2 1.8
Kilauea 30 3,441 33.5% 35.3 1.9
Kula 31 6,687 42.5% 37.9 1.4
Lihue 32 6,955 26.2% 40.1 1.5
Napili-Honokowai 33 6,491 30.6% 40.6 1.6
Ewa Villages 34 7,141 10.4% 37.1 2.9
Kahaluu 35 4,514 30.6% 36.2 1.7
Waikapu 36 3,689 23.5% 39.3 2.0
Waipio Acres 37 4,807 25.7% 39.2 1.4
Urban Honolulu 38 345,130 35.2% 38.5 1.5
Pukalani 39 8,067 24.1% 37.1 1.6
Waipahu 40 40,532 14.8% 37.2 2.5
Honaunau-Napoopoo 41 2,792 22.4% 34.6 1.9
Kahuku 42 2,391 21.0% 35.7 2.1
Puhi 43 3,572 19.4% 38.5 2.0
Mountain View 44 3,078 27.1% 36.8 1.1
Hanamaulu 45 4,398 9.0% 37.0 2.1
Waikoloa Village 46 6,841 28.3% 40.7 1.6
Wailua 47 2,361 26.7% 38.4 1.4
Lawai 48 2,209 32.3% 38.3 1.4
Waimea CDP (Hawaii County) 49 9,642 30.5% 37.9 1.6
Wailea 50 6,107 42.8% 37.8 1.0
Kalaoa 51 10,257 27.6% 35.4 1.8
Lahaina 52 11,941 21.4% 37.1 2.2
Iroquois Point 53 3,639 21.2% 43.2 1.7
Hauula 54 3,767 31.9% 36.7 1.7
Kahaluu-Keauhou 55 3,807 40.2% 38.6 1.1
Whitmore Village 56 5,254 16.6% 38.1 2.5
Volcano 57 2,603 37.2% 36.4 1.2
Haiku-Pauwela 58 7,689 36.3% 36.8 1.5
Schofield Barracks 59 19,525 19.1% 50.1 2.3
Waihee-Waiehu 60 9,663 20.6% 37.0 2.4
Ewa Beach 61 14,291 12.7% 37.3 2.2
Waimanalo Beach 62 4,439 15.8% 36.9 1.9
Wahiawa 63 17,473 18.6% 38.5 1.6
Waimanalo 64 5,807 13.5% 36.4 2.0
Captain Cook 65 4,265 27.0% 37.9 1.5
Wailua Homesteads 66 5,521 32.7% 35.6 1.6
Haleiwa 67 3,883 19.3% 38.4 1.8
Hawaiian Paradise Park 68 11,623 30.7% 36.3 1.0
Holualoa 69 9,098 30.9% 36.0 1.6
Lanai City 70 3,514 22.0% 40.6 1.6
Kahului 71 27,339 17.2% 37.0 2.0
Waianae 72 12,694 8.3% 37.7 1.9
Kekaha 73 2,616 13.7% 37.8 1.6
Kihei 74 22,314 26.0% 36.6 1.6
Princeville 75 2,511 41.0% 38.1 1.1
Orchidlands Estates 76 3,315 21.9% 36.1 1.7
Maili 77 9,399 12.9% 38.1 1.8
Kailua CDP (Hawaii County) 78 12,727 23.0% 36.6 1.6
Hilo 79 44,549 28.8% 35.8 1.3
Nanakuli 80 12,181 7.2% 35.8 2.2
Kapaa 81 10,582 25.8% 35.0 1.5
Keaau 82 2,541 20.4% 35.4 1.8
Honalo 83 2,822 18.5% 38.1 1.6
Anahola 84 2,122 14.3% 38.8 1.5
Koloa 85 2,806 19.8% 34.1 1.8
Wailuku 86 16,196 23.3% 37.4 1.5
Wheeler AFB 87 2,541 22.1% 49.6 1.3
Honokaa 88 2,522 12.9% 36.1 1.7
Makawao 89 6,674 19.3% 37.0 1.6
Kualapuu 90 2,061 17.7% 36.0 1.7
Makaha 91 8,663 14.9% 37.6 1.5
Hawaiian Ocean View 92 3,927 11.8% 33.7 1.0
Hawaiian Acres 93 2,155 17.1% 34.8 1.0
Kaunakakai 94 3,239 19.6% 35.1 1.1
Ainaloa 95 3,645 17.2% 36.5 1.1
Hawaiian Beaches 96 4,467 15.7% 34.5 1.3
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Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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