Photo: 293.xx.xxx.xx · CC BY-SA 3.0Within Hawaii, Makawao is healthier than 49% of graded towns
Makawao differs from Hawaii on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Makawao. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Makawao
Hawaii sets a high bar
Makawao is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, but only 49% of the 93 Hawaii towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Makawao is short on primary care and mental health care
Makawao’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Smoking is more common in Makawao
1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes (13.8%), vs 11% across Hawaii. Habits ↓
Asthma runs high in Makawao
1 in 9 adults have asthma (11.3%), vs 9.8% across Hawaii. Conditions ↓
Makawao is an active town
Only 18.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Hawaii. Habits ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Hawaii figure falls outside Makawao’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Makawao’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Makawao is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, #48 of 93 in Hawaii. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than 89% of towns); the weakest is smoking, still better than 60%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Makawao’s median household income is $96,444; among the 9,113 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($72K–$121K), it’s healthier than 71%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Makawao
No hospital or community health center in Makawao itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Makawao; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Hawaii
Share of adults, with the Hawaii figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Out of every 100 Makawao adults…
Makawao runs below HI on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Makawao adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Hawaii.
How Makawao adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Makawao runs above Hawaii.
1 in 3 Makawao adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14% of Makawao adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.2% across Hawaii.
Makawao and the towns around it
Makawao has the best Health Grade of the 5 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makawao | A− | 28.5% | 10.8% | 13.8% | CDC place |
| Olinda | — | — | — | — | |
| Haiku-Pauwela | B+ | 29.1% | 10.3% | 14.5% | CDC place |
| Haliimaile | B+ | 27.2% | 11.9% | 14% | CDC place |
| Kula | A− | 27.7% | 12.1% | 13.4% | CDC place |
| Pukalani | A− | 27.6% | 11.9% | 13.4% | CDC place |
Olinda: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Makawao adults live with a disability (Hawaii 28.7%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Makawao
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Makawao is better than Hawaii on 2 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Hawaii figure falls inside Makawao’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Makawao | HI | U.S. | vs HI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.4%15.3–19.5 | 18.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13%11.6–14.5 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.4%14.6–18.2 | 14.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.5%23.7–33.5 | 25.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.8%9.5–12.2 | 12.4% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 28.7%25.7–31.7 | 31.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.2%29.9–36.6 | 36.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.1%21.6–26.6 | 23.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.3%10.1–12.5 | 9.8% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.7%7–8.5 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.9%5.3–6.5 | 6.2% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.9%5.1–6.6 | 5.3% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3.2–3.8 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.7%7–10.6 | 8.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.8%11.9–15.8 | 11% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 18.7%15.8–21.6 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 21.3%18.4–24.3 | 17.4% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 41.3%36.5–46.6 | 45.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.5%5.5–7.7 | 5.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.7%69.1–76 | 77.3% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.9%63.6–70.2 | 68.3% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.2%81.3–85 | 82.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.7%68.4–74.8 | 76.9% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.2%58.9–67.4 | 62.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.3%71.4–82.8 | 78.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18%15.5–20.6 | 16% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.1%27.9–36.7 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.2%23.7–31.2 | 30.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.9%14.5–19.5 | 17.3% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.1%10.3–14 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%5.7–7.9 | 5.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.4%7.3–9.7 | 7.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14%11.8–16.4 | 12.2% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.1%24.8–31.3 | 28.7% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.3%11.7–15 | 13.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.6%12–15.1 | 12.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.7%6–7.5 | 7.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.6–5.6 | 5.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.7–8.4 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.4–4.1 | 3.4% | 3.8% | About the same |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Hawaii figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Makawao
Is Makawao a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Makawao is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #48 of 93 in Hawaii. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 71%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Makawao?
CDC estimates 28.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.7% and 33.5%, against 25.6% across Hawaii and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Makawao?
Kula Hospital in Kula, 10.5 miles in a straight line from Makawao’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Makawao have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–7.7%), against 5.6% across Hawaii.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Makawao more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Makawao.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Hawaii figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.