Wailuku is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Hawaii. With a population of 17,697 people and seven associated neighborhoods, Wailuku is the 13th largest community in Hawaii.

Housing costs in Wailuku 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.

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

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 7.42% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. 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.

Wailuku 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.

The population of Wailuku is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 35.83% of adults in Wailuku have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Wailuku in 2022 was $48,946, which is wealthy relative to Hawaii and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $195,784 for a family of four. However, Wailuku contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Wailuku is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Wailuku home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Wailuku residents report their race to be Asian, followed by White. Important ancestries of people in Wailuku include Irish, German, English, Italian, and Portuguese.

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