Biggest Retail Cities in Hawaii: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Hawaii has 12,174 independent retail places spread across 87 towns. Honolulu leads with 4,437 — 36.4% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Hawaii by the numbers
Where the stores are
Hawaii has 12,174 independent retail places — 848.3 per 100,000 residents, 1.17× the national average of 724.8 and 7th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Honolulu holds 4,437 of them (36.4% of the state total). Hilo is second with 568 (4.7%). The 25 towns below account for 87.3% of Hawaii's retail; 87 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the clothing store (1,199, 9.8% of the state's retail), followed by construction supplies stores (1,025).
Top 25 retail towns in Hawaii
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Hawaii's 12,174 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honolulu | 4,437 | 36.4% |
| 2 | Hilo | 568 | 4.7% |
| 3 | Kailua-Kona | 562 | 4.6% |
| 4 | Lahaina | 545 | 4.5% |
| 5 | ‘Aiea | 457 | 3.8% |
| 6 | Kahului | 408 | 3.4% |
| 7 | Kihei | 389 | 3.2% |
| 8 | Waipahu | 371 | 3.0% |
| 9 | Kapolei | 314 | 2.6% |
| 10 | Kāne‘ohe | 286 | 2.3% |
| 11 | Lihue | 284 | 2.3% |
| 12 | Kailua | 281 | 2.3% |
| 13 | Wailuku | 249 | 2.0% |
| 14 | Kapa‘a | 245 | 2.0% |
| 15 | Pearl City | 182 | 1.5% |
| 16 | Kamuela | 128 | 1.1% |
| 17 | Hale‘iwa | 121 | 1.0% |
| 18 | Koloa | 117 | 1.0% |
| 19 | Makawao | 113 | 0.9% |
| 20 | Paia | 107 | 0.9% |
| 21 | Wahiawa | 102 | 0.8% |
| 22 | Mililani Town | 101 | 0.8% |
| 23 | ‘Ewa Beach | 95 | 0.8% |
| 24 | Waikoloa | 84 | 0.7% |
| 25 | Wai‘anae | 79 | 0.6% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Hawaii
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Hawaii, with each one's share of the state's 12,174 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clothing Store | 1,199 | 9.8% |
| 2 | Construction Supplies Store | 1,025 | 8.4% |
| 3 | Miscellaneous Store | 829 | 6.8% |
| 4 | Jewelry Store | 763 | 6.3% |
| 5 | Gift Store | 683 | 5.6% |
| 6 | Boutique | 561 | 4.6% |
| 7 | Furniture and Home Store | 475 | 3.9% |
| 8 | Cosmetics Store | 371 | 3.0% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Hawaii has the most retail stores?
- Honolulu, with 4,437 independent retail places — 36.4% of Hawaii's 12,174 total. Hilo is next with 568.
- How many independent retail stores are in Hawaii?
- 12,174 shoppable independent retail places, or 848.3 per 100,000 residents (1.17× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Hawaii 7th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Hawaii?
- The clothing store: 1,199 places, or 9.8% of Hawaii's retail. Construction Supplies Stores are second at 1,025.
Related reports
Store types where Hawaii ranks in the top 10
- Clothing Stores by State: Every State RankedHawaii ranks #1 per capita (83.5 per 100k)
- Jewelry Stores by State: Every State RankedHawaii ranks #1 per capita (53.2 per 100k)
- Gift Shops by State: Every State RankedHawaii ranks #3 per capita (47.6 per 100k)
- Florists by State: Every State RankedHawaii ranks #4 per capita (24.7 per 100k)
- Arts and Crafts Stores by State: Every State RankedHawaii ranks #6 per capita (20.8 per 100k)
- Music Stores by State: Every State RankedHawaii ranks #6 per capita (8.8 per 100k)
- Sporting Goods Stores by State: Every State RankedHawaii ranks #9 per capita (23.1 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Delaware: Top 25 Towns Ranked7,192 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Florida: Top 25 Towns Ranked175,522 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Georgia: Top 25 Towns Ranked83,747 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Idaho: Top 25 Towns Ranked14,340 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Illinois: Top 25 Towns Ranked91,184 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Indiana: Top 25 Towns Ranked49,234 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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