Kalepolepo Fishpond · National Register of Historic Places
Kihei’s story
126 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1954 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1900Kihei is settled
KiheiHI
A town of 21,567, settled in 1900.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Michael Oswald · Public domain
Population
21,567
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$991K
−6.9% in a year
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
43.1
years
Jobs based here
6,179
A commuter town
Is Kihei a good place to live?
The best of Kihei’s subject grades is an A− for health; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Kihei’s July high is 75°F, below both the Hawaii town median (85°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Among 93 Hawaii towns, just 4 have a lower January low than Kihei. Kihei is more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns. Kihei’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both Hawaii’s towns (0.5) and U.S. towns (0.4). Kalepolepo Fishpond is on the National Register of Historic Places. Kihei has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
What makes Kihei stand out
Where Kihei beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
84% of working residents leave Kihei for work
Where Kihei’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
6,179jobs based in Kihei
16%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Kihei grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Kihei is from typical.
Kihei has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingAmong the weakest of the towns comparedC−Open →HealthKula Hospital 6.7 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 3.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Jobs & income$88K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5% conserved landA−Open →History1 place on the National Register; 3 notable people born hereDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 76° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market120 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.1–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Kihei: who provides what
Kihei is unincorporated, so Maui County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMaui Electric Co Ltd42.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWailuku water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% 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 code9675396753 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 Kihei.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Natural hazards: very high risk in Kihei, mostly inland flooding
Federal aid has come to Kihei households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2026. On expected storm and flood damage, Kihei sits above 98% of U.S. communities. 200 flood insurance claims have been paid locally since 1980. 53% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tsunamis at 25%.
98risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTsunamisEarthquakes
200
paid flood claims since 1980
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Kihei’s kids attend
Below: Two of its 6 schools, each with why it was picked. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Kihei Charter School, with 670 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kihei Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 727 | B |
| Kihei Charter SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 670 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
HealthA−
Kihei ranks healthier than 79% of the country’s towns
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Kihei is ahead of Hawaii on 3 and behind on 5. A fifth of adults binge drink in the town. In Kihei, 40% of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 29% have high blood pressure.
79%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Kihei | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 45% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
3 better24 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Kihei | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 19.2% | 23% |
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 40% | 45.7% |
| More smokers | 13.7% | 11% |
Kula Hospital
6.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
58th
percentile among HI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Kihei has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Kihei for work: only 16% work in town. The average trip to work in the town is 22 minutes. Employers in Kihei added 1,361 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 6,179. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (19%), Wailea (13%) and Kahului (11%).
16%work in town
| Kihei | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 3.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 14% | 8.1% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Kihei16%
Urban Honolulu19%
Wailea13%
Kahului11%
Wailuku7%
11 mi
median commute distance
6,179
jobs based in Kihei
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers: that is Kihei’s year
Winters in Kihei are warm and summers cool, with very little rain.
76°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter53–69°
Spring55–70°
Summer58–75°
Fall58–74°
76°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C−
Zillow puts the typical Kihei home at about $991K
The share of households in Kihei who live in a home they own: 59%. Home values are down 6.9% over the year to September 2026. Its midpoint rent stands at $2,045 a month.
$991KZillow home value
| Kihei | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,045 a month | $2,009 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Kihei$991K
Hawaii$833K
Market temperature
120
days on market
96.3%
sale-to-list price
−6.9%
value change, 1 year
29
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Hawaii overall
Among adults 25 and older, 31% have a four-year degree or more, against 36% across Hawaii. Adults 35 to 64 are just over two in five residents (38% statewide). 19% of Kihei residents are under 18.
43.1median age · HI 40.9
| Kihei | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 43.1 years | 41.2 years | 40.5 years |
KiheiHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school30%
Some college24%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.9 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women. Median age: women 43.2, men 43.0.
| Kihei | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.9% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.2% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.1% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.6% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.4% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.4% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.5% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.9% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
OutdoorsA−
Kihei keeps 4.9% of its land conserved
14 miles of trail wind through 11 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Kalama Park, at 28 acres.
4.9%conserved
4.9%
conserved · 368 of 7,503 acres
14 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kalama Park | 0.4 mi | 28 |
| 2. South Maui Community Park | 0.4 mi | 17 |
| 3. Kihei Beach Reserve / Waipuilani Park | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Haleakala National Park and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kihei. Close and well known come first.
12 mi National ParkHaleakala National Park854K visitors a year
5 mi Zoo & aquariumMaui Ocean Center
39 mi National Historical ParkKalaupapa National Historical Park15K visitors a year
7 mi MuseumAlexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
26 mi GardenKahanu Garden
7 mi GardenKula Botanical GardenSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Haleakala National Park: Michael Oswald, Public domain · Maui Ocean Center: Richard N Horne, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kalaupapa National Historical Park: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum: Joel Bradshaw, Public domain · Kahanu Garden: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 · Kula Botanical Garden: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kihei
18pages on Kihei
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kihei
About 3 of every 100 Kihei residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Famous people from Kihei
3 notable people were born in Kihei.
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About Kihei
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Kīhei (Hawaiian pronunciation: [tiːˈhɛj] , lit. 'cape, cloak') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 21,423 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3 ft
- ZIP code
- 96753
- Area code
- 808
Kihei’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Kihei.
MaalaeaWaileaKihei
How the neighbors grade
Kihei and Wailea report no FBI crime data of their own. Kihei, Maalaea and Wailea aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kihei with a neighbor →
Questions about Kihei
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kihei, HI a good place to live?
Kihei has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Is Kihei, HI expensive?
Yes. That is 10.2 years of the area's median household income ($97,109 across the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
What is Kihei, HI known for?
3 notable people were born here, including John Lotulelei and Roman Wilson.