Kapalua Coast, 2006
Kapalua’s story
Kapalua in pictures
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KapaluaHI
A town in Hawaii, home to 469 people.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Andwhatsnext at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
469
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$1.6M
Census ACS
Household income
$154K
median
Median age
55.2
years
Jobs based here
1,698
A job hub
Is Kapalua a good place to live?
Kapalua’s mean commuting time is 13 minutes, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 2 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher age of the median resident than Kapalua. Kapalua’s density of trails is 2.9 miles per square mile, against 0.6 in Hawaii’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Kapalua has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Kapalua stand out
Where Kapalua beats most towns.
Small town
469 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Napili-HonokowaiKapalua
Getting set up
Moving to Kapalua: who provides what
Kapalua is unincorporated, so Maui County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMaui Electric Co Ltd42.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLahaina water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMaui CountyMaui County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Hawaii you can register online up to and including Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMaui County ClerkMaui County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9676196761 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kapalua.
Work & commute
The median household income in Kapalua is higher than in most of Hawaii or the rest of the country
Only 10% of working residents stay in Kapalua for work; the rest commute out. The share of residents in Kapalua who live below the poverty line: 2.8%. Since 2013, Kapalua has added 898 jobs, to 1,698 in 2023. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (19%), Kaanapali (18%) and Lahaina (10%).
10%work in town
| Kapalua | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $154,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.8% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.9% | 3.7% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kapalua10%
Urban Honolulu19%
Kaanapali18%
Lahaina10%
Napili-Honokowai9%
13 mi
median commute distance
1,698
jobs based in Kapalua
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Kapalua, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA puts 43% of Kapalua’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 39% to earthquakes. The town’s FEMA hazard score is 80 of 100. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2023.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesTsunamis
7
paid flood claims since 1993
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Young adults are less common in Kapalua than in Hawaii
Adults 18 to 34 are 8% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 50% of residents (38% statewide). Kapalua: 29% of residents are 65 or older. Among adults 25 and older, 44% have a four-year degree or more, against 36% across Hawaii.
55.2median age · HI 40.9
| Kapalua | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 44% | 31% | 29% |
KapaluaHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school22%
Some college23%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate22%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.5 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Kapalua | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 1.7% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.4% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 19% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.3% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.7% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.7% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.4% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.9% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.2% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.7% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.4% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.4% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in Kapalua
July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 66° and snow is almost unheard of.
87°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter66–79°
Spring67–81°
Summer71–86°
Fall71–85°
87°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Kapalua is
16% of adults in Kapalua have been diagnosed with depression; 29% feel lonely. This Hawaii town does better than the Hawaii average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 7. For adults here, the share who report frequent mental distress is 13%. Only 8 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Kapalua.
| Kapalua | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 45% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
9 better16 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Kapalua | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.4% | 17.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.9% | 10.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.7% | 6.7% |
Molokai General Hospital
15.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
1% of the land in Kapalua is protected from building
Among 86 Hawaii towns, just 5 have a lower share of conserved land than Kapalua. 17 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 4 acres here.
1%conserved
1%
conserved · 38 of 3,744 acres
17 mi
of trails · 2.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. D.T. Fleming Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
Homes in Kapalua sell for about $1.66M
For Kapalua, the rent at the middle of the market is $2,433 a month. In Kapalua, 75% of households live in a home they own.
$1.66Mmedian sale price
| Kapalua | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,433 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 71% | 73% |
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Haleakala National Park and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kapalua. Close and well known come first.
30 mi National ParkHaleakala National Park854K visitors a year
19 mi National Historical ParkKalaupapa National Historical Park15K visitors a year
16 mi Zoo & aquariumMaui Ocean Center
15 mi MuseumAlexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum9 mi MuseumLahaina Heritage Museum
12 mi GardenMaui Nui Botanical GardensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Haleakala National Park: Michael Oswald, Public domain · Kalaupapa National Historical Park: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Maui Ocean Center: Richard N Horne, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum: Joel Bradshaw, Public domain · Maui Nui Botanical Gardens: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kapalua
16pages on Kapalua
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kapalua
About 1 of every 100 Kapalua residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,660 people come to Kapalua for work
Where Kapalua’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,698jobs based in Kapalua
10%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Kapalua
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Kapalua (Hawaiian for 'two borders') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. A resort development by the Maui Land & Pineapple Company extends inland from Kapalua Bay and Honolua Bay. The population was 495 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 207 ft
- Area code
- 808
Questions about Kapalua
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kapalua, HI a good place to live?
Kapalua has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.