More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #70 of 93 in Hawaii. What drives it
Most of Waipio was built recently: 0.4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Below: maps from 1954 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waipio is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #70 of 93 in Hawaii. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Waipio’s overall grade.
Few Hawaii towns list much on the Register (a typical Hawaii town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Waipio’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Hawaii towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Waipio’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In ancient Hawaii, the Battle of Kīpapa Gulch was said to have taken place at Kīpapa Gulch in Waipiʻo. Maʻilikākahi was the mōʻī of Oʻahu at the time. The battle began at Waikakalaua Gulch in the adjacent ahupuaʻa of Waikele. It eventually made its way into Kīpapa Gulch. The raiding party was defeated, and it is said that the gulch was "paved with the corpses of the slain."
Waipio is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #70 of 93 in Hawaii. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Waipio?
0.4% of Waipio’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.7% for a Hawaii town; the median home was built in 1984.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
