CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

20.86° N · 156.47° W · GEOID 1522700

Kahului

Maui County, Hawaii · part of the Kahului, HI metro

HawaiiKahului, HIKahuluiKahului

The short answer

Kahului is home to 28,288 people. Median household income is $98,077 a year and median rent is $1,488 a month, 18.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $862,600, about 8.8x annual median household income.

Kahului's housing market sets it apart. Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,462 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 54 Hawaii places we track. Also notable: Rent run 25% below what its fundamentals predict in the same metro area.

59OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Kahului scores better than 59% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 6th of 55 in Hawaii.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%36
Economy 20%74
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%55
Education 10%33
Commute 10%64
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,488
9% above the median place
Median household income
$98,077
22% above the median place
Median home value
$862,600
170% above the median place
Unemployment
3.5%
29% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Kahului

  • Work and commuting5% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 94% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Kahului

Maui County loses about 9.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,491
Moved out5,774
Net−1,283

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Hawaii, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within HawaiiOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$86K
Leavers$77K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Maui County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Maui County report $86,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $77,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$59,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,488 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,950 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $862,600.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 5.0% work from home; 3.2% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Crete, NE matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.5%
38% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.4%
27% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-9.6
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureKahuluiAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.5%38% below
Moved from another state11.4%27% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-9.6below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$86,40322% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$77,40510% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 0.2% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 99% of the 912 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Kahului18.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$59,520
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.2%
11% below the median place
Home price to income
8.8x
132% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$74,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Kahului, $1,488 a month, and local prices for everything else (107.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Kahului, but easier on the budget

Places that match Kahului on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Crete, NE7414.5% vs 18.2%n/aCompare
Westbury, NY7314.7% vs 18.2%$43,000Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Kahului.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Kahului? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.2%
82% below the median place
Median home value1
$862,600
170% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,352
59% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureKahuluiAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,4889% above
Rent to income118.2%11% below
Property tax rate10.2%82% below
Home price to income18.8x132% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure109.48% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,65664% above
HUD area median income4County figure$121,40013% above
Property tax paid (median)1$1,35259% below
Median home value1$862,600170% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.3%34% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure55.4%8% above
Homeownership164.7%3% below
Renters paying 30%+147.1%7% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,95058% above
Vacant homes16.2%12% below
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Woodburn, OR, Halawa, HI and La Presa, CA), unemployment here is lower: 3.5% against a typical 6.1%.

Works from home1
5.0%
60% below the median place
Unemployment1
3.5%
29% below the median place
Commutes by transit1
3.2%
273% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$98,077 +22%
Mean commute23 min −8%
Poverty rate8.7% −19%
Income per person$37,588 −6%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureKahuluiAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$98,07722% above
Income per person1$37,5886% below
Unemployment13.5%29% below
Average annual pay6County figure$64,1143% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure74,40751% below
Poverty rate18.7%19% below
Mean commute123 min8% below
Works from home15.0%60% below
Commutes by transit13.2%273% above
04

Who lives here

Household size is 3.2, 28% above the median place.

Household size1
3.2
28% above the median place
Born abroad1
29.6%
236% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
88.0%
5% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age43.0 +10%
No health insurance4.2% −34%
High school or higher89.1% −3%
Bachelor's or higher24.6% −23%
All 8 people measures
MeasureKahuluiAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population128,2881628th largest
Median age143.010% above
Bachelor's or higher124.6%23% below
High school or higher189.1%3% below
Household size13.228% above
Born abroad129.6%236% above
No health insurance14.2%34% below
Homes with broadband188.0%5% below
05

Life in Kahului

The nearest National Park Service site is Haleakalā Wilderness, about 22 miles away.

2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Crater Historic District listed 1974
  • Kahului Railroad Administration Building listed 2016

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents7.8 −24%
Playgrounds per 10k4.2 −55%
Grocery stores per 10k2.1 +0%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k16.6 +49%
Libraries per 10k1.4 +62%
Named paths and bike trails2 km +15%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.3 6.3×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Haleakalā Wilderness 22 miles
  • Haleakalā National Park 22 miles
  • Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement and National Historical Park 39 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars28.4 +37%
Shops46.2 +52%
Arts, recreation and fitness8.6 2.1×
Doctors' offices and clinics20.8 +3%
Child care centers2.2 −4%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
5
44% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site10
21.7
30% below the median place
Students per teacher12
14.6
5% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureKahuluiAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12544% below
Public school students124,7124% below
Students per teacher1214.65% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure28.437% above
Shops per 10k8County figure46.252% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure8.6110% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure20.83% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.24% below
Parks per 10k97.824% below
Playgrounds per 10k94.255% below
Grocery stores per 10k92.10% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k916.649% above
Libraries per 10k91.462% above
Named paths and bike trails92.315% above
Transit stops per sq mi91.3above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1021.730% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10350% above
National Register listings11285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 0.0, below the median place (median 90.1).

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Kahului. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk13
0.0
below the median place (median 90.1)
Good air days14
98.1%
43% above the median place
Median air quality index14
21
51% below the median place
All 7 weather and risk measures
MeasureKahuluiAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Natural hazard risk13County figure93.11% above
Hurricane risk13County figure69.52% below
Tornado risk13County figure5.993% below
Wildfire risk13County figure95.356% above
Heat wave risk13County figure0.0below (median 90.1)
Median air quality index14County figure2151% below
Good air days14County figure98.1%43% above
08

Kahului in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 18% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Kahului does better than 35% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 46%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,488/mo (2024)$1,880/mo$1,540 to $2,290/mo+4.0%
Median household income$98,077 (2024)$123,000$104,000 to $145,500+3.9%
Median home value$862,600 (2024)$1,233,000$895,000 to $1,699,000+6.1%

The median home would be worth 10.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 8.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Kahului

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Mammoth Lakes, CA$1,645$98,056Compare
Waipahu, HI$1,658$103,895Compare
Wahiawa, HI$1,546$87,143Compare
Makawao, HI$1,908$96,444Compare
Makawao, HIWahiawa, HIWaipahu, HIMammoth Lakes, CAKahului, HIKahuluiMammoth LakesWaipahuWahiawaMakawaoKahuluiMammoth LakesWaipahuWahiawaMakawao

Places built like Kahului

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Kahului performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Kahului, HI18.2%2.6%/yrn/a
Woodburn, OR26.5%6.1%/yr22.5%Compare
Halawa, HI18.9%1.8%/yrn/aCompare
La Presa, CA23.8%7.2%/yrn/aCompare
Lahaina, HI27.0%3.2%/yrn/aCompare
Spring Valley, CA23.8%8.6%/yrn/aCompare
Santa Paula, CA26.3%5.6%/yr3.6%Compare

Common questions

Is Kahului a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 59 out of 100, better than 59% of the places we rate and 6th of 55 in Hawaii. 5% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 94% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 62 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Kahului expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $862,600.

What salary do you need to live in Kahului?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $59,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Kahului?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Mammoth Lakes, CA, Waipahu, HI, Wahiawa, HI and Makawao, HI.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Kahului with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Kahului itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/kahului-hawaii

Citytistics. “Kahului, Hawaii.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/kahului-hawaii/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.