Curved water. That is what Waipio means in Hawaiian. The name Waipio aptly describes this place.
Waipio is a census-designated place on Oahu. It resides in the City and County of Honolulu. As of 2020, Waipio had a population of 12082. Its ZIP code is 96797.
Let’s journey back. In ancient Hawaii, the Battle of Kipapa Gulch occurred in Waipio. The battle was said to have taken place at Kipapa Gulch. At that time, Mailikukahi ruled as the mōʻī of Oahu. The battle started in Waikakalaua Gulch. This gulch was in the neighboring ahupuaʻa of Waikele. The battle moved into Kipapa Gulch. The raiding party was defeated. It is said that the gulch was paved with the corpses of the slain.
Waipio is south of Mililani Town. You can reach it via Interstate H-2 or Kamehameha Highway. Waipio sits just east of Waikele. Kamehameha Highway separates them. This road heads south to Farrington Highway. From there, you can connect to Pearl City to the east and Waipahu to the west. South of Waipio is the interchange between Hawaiʻi Interstates H-1 and H-2 at Waiawa. Crestview is one of Waipio’s neighborhoods.
The CDP has a total area of 1.2 square miles. All of it is land.
In 2000, the census recorded 11672 people living here. There were 3974 households and 2873 families. The population density was 9700.5 inhabitants per square mile. There were 4110 housing units. The racial makeup was diverse. White residents made up 14.42%. African Americans were 2.82%. Native Americans accounted for 0.18%. Asian residents were 54.66%. Pacific Islanders were 5.45%. People from other races were 0.86%. And 21.62% identified as being from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 6.76% of the population.
Of the 3974 households, 38.6% had children under 18. 57.1% were married couples. 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present. 27.7% were non-families. Individuals made up 20.9% of all households. And 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.92. The average family size was 3.41.
The population was spread out. 26.2% were under 18. 9.3% were from 18 to 24. 34.6% were from 25 to 44. 23.4% were from 45 to 64. And 6.5% were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household was $61276. The median income for a family was $69282. Males had a median income of $41943 versus $31840 for females. The per capita income was $24451. About 3.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line. This included 5.1% of those under 18 and 7.0% of those 65 and older.
The Hawaii Department of Public Safety runs the Waiawa Correctional Facility. This is a minimum security prison near Waipio.
In 2017, the state approved a solar farm project in Waipio. NRG Energy, Inc., built the 45.9 megawatt Waipio solar farm north of Costco near Waiawa and H-2. Hawaiian Electric Companies buys electricity from this solar farm. The price is 10.4 cents per kilowatt-hour for 22 years. The Waipio Solar project began operating on September 10, 2019.
Kanoelani Elementary School is in the Waipio CDP. The Hawaii Department of Education operates it.
In 2008, the team from Waipio LL captured the Little League World Series crown. They represented Hawaii and the United States. They beat Matamoros LL, Mexico 12–3 in 6 innings. ʻIolana Akau started with a solo blast. Tanner Tokunaga added two homers. Waipio is the second team from the Ewa District to win the world championship.
In 2010, the Waipio LL team won the U.S. championship of the Little League World Series. They defeated Pearland White LL from Pearland, Texas. The score was 10-0 after 5 innings. This invoked the Little League mercy rule. They lost in a close 4–1 game to Edogawa Minami LL of Tokyo, Japan in the Series final.
Waipio offers a blend of history, culture, and community. It is a great place to explore.