Holy Ghost Catholic Church · National Register of Historic Places
Kula’s story
Kula in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1998.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →KulaHI
A town of 6,791.
4 bordering townsMap →
Holy Ghost Catholic Church · Photo: Joel Bradshaw · Public domain
Population
6,791
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.32M
+2.4% in a year
Household income
$100K
median
Median age
47.8
years
Jobs based here
1,111
A commuter town
Is Kula a good place to live?
Kula’s best subject grade is an A− for health; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. 28% of the land in Kula is conserved, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. On history, just 11 of Hawaii’s 125 towns do better. Kula 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 Kula stand out
Where Kula beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Kula for work
Where Kula’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,111jobs based in Kula
7%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Kula grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Kula is from typical.
Kula 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 listDOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →HealthKula Hospital 5.1 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 3% of households have no car; 8.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & income$100K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 76° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 47.8–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 13 attractions →Haleakala National Park and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kula. Close and well known come first.
6 mi National ParkHaleakala National Park854K visitors a year
11 mi Zoo & aquariumMaui Ocean Center
in town GardenKula Botanical Garden
10 mi MuseumAlexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
20 mi GardenKahanu Garden
in town GardenEnchanted Floral Gardens of KulaSources: 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 · Kula Botanical Garden: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us · Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum: Joel Bradshaw, Public domain · Kahanu Garden: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 · Enchanted Floral Gardens of Kula: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us
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Getting set up
Moving to Kula: who provides what
Kula is unincorporated, so Maui County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMaui Electric Co Ltd42.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterUpper Kula water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers98% 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 codes96790, 9676896790 95% · 96768 5%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 Kula.
HousingCost of living grade D
The typical home in Kula is valued at about $1.32M
The midpoint rent for Kula comes to $2,240 a month, above both Hawaii’s towns ($2,009 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Values rose 2.4% in the 12 months to September 2026. 66% of Kula households are owner-occupiers.
$1.32MZillow home value
| Kula | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,240 a month | $2,009 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Kula$1.32M
Hawaii$833K
+2.4%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Kula’s kids attend
The largest public high school is King Kekaulike High School, with 1,217 students. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kula Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 339 | B |
| King Kekaulike High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,217 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Kula has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Kula after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2026. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 91% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Kula break down as 69% from inland flooding and 17% from earthquakes. One flood insurance claim has been paid in the town since 2025.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
1
paid flood claims since 2025
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB−
Protected land: nearly a quarter of Kula
Trails run 17 miles in 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in Kula: one, of 3 acres.
28.2%conserved
28.2%
conserved · 6,232 of 22,065 acres
17 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harold W. Rice Memorial Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthA−
Residents of Kula are healthier than 75% of U.S. towns
In Kula, 5.4% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Against the Hawaii average, Kula comes out ahead on 6 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 5. Also worth knowing: among 93 Hawaii towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Kula.
75%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Kula | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 45% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
6 better21 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Kula | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 18.9% | 23% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.4% | 17.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 6.7% |
Kula Hospital
5.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
47th
percentile among HI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Kula’s workers commute out
Half commute less than 14 miles. Since 2013, Kula has added 376 jobs, to 1,111 in 2023. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 7% of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (21%), Kahului (14%) and Wailuku (10%).
7%work in town
| Kula | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 16% | 8.1% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $100,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7% | 3.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kula7%
Urban Honolulu21%
Kahului14%
Wailuku10%
Kihei5%
14 mi
median commute distance
1,111
jobs based in Kula
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 57% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Kula brings mild winters and pleasant summers
In Kula, the peak summer temperature is 75°F.
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
Who lives here
Kula skews older than Hawaii
For residents in Kula, the share who are 65 or older is 27%. Only 9 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher age of the median resident than Kula. 41% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Hawaii.
47.8median age · HI 40.9
| Kula | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 47.8 years | 41.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 31% | 29% |
KulaHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school25%
Some college20%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
57% women, 43% men
About 77 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±6 points). Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 79% are women (HI 48%).
| Kula | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.7% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.3% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.7% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.3% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.1% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.4% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.7% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.4% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.2% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.6% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kula
18pages on Kula
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kula
About 3 of every 100 Kula residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
About Kula
District of Maui
Kula is a census-designated place (CDP) of Maui, Hawaii. It stretches across Upcountry Maui, the western-facing slopes of Haleakalā. Most residential areas lie between about 500 to 1,100 m (1,600 to 3,600 ft) in elevation. The district is distinct from the generally hotter and busier coastal areas. The population of the Kula CDP at the 2020 Census was 6,942, while the larger Kula Census County Division, which includes the communities of upland Keokea and coastal Wailea and Makena, had a population of 12,864.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 121 ft
- ZIP code
- 96790
- Area code
- 808
Kula’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Kula.
KeokeaPukalaniOlindaMakawaoKula
How the neighbors grade
| Town | HI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kula | — | — | D | — | — | A− |
| Keokea | — | — | C | — | — | B |
| Pukalani | — | — | C | — | — | A− |
| Olinda | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Makawao | — | — | C− | — | — | A− |
Kula, Keokea, Pukalani and Makawao report no FBI crime data of their own. Kula, Keokea, Pukalani, Olinda and Makawao aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kula with a neighbor →
Questions about Kula
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kula, HI a good place to live?
Kula 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 Kula, HI expensive?
Yes. That is 13.6 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 D.