MakenaHI
A town of 90, settled in 1900.
Is Makena a good place to live?
Makena’s median age is 64.8 years, against 41.2 years in Hawaii’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. No town among the 94 in Hawaii we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Makena. 36% of the land in Makena is conserved, above both Hawaii’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is 'Āhihi-Kīna‘u Natural Area Reserve, 1,813 acres with 2.2 miles of trail. Makena has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Makena stand out
Where Makena beats most towns.
90 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Makena: who provides what
Makena is unincorporated, so Maui County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Makena.
Makena has 4.5 jobs for every working resident, and 339 people commute in
Most working residents leave Makena for work: only 1% work in town. 16% of Makena residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (17%), Wailea (16%) and Wailuku (8%).
| Makena | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 3.7% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Makena has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
13 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in Makena is 1.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. 'Āhihi-Kīna‘u Natural Area Reserve | 2.2 mi | 1,813 |
| 2. Mākena State Park | 1.2 mi | 148 |
| 3. Makena Landing Beach Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Makena
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Makena.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Makena has mild winters and pleasant summers
Makena has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Makena’s July high is 87°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fewer of Makena’s adults feel lonely than in the typical Hawaii or U.S. town
27% of adults feel lonely in Makena. Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Makena. 15% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Makena.
| Makena | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 22% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 45% | 36% |
| What stands out | Makena | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.4% | 17.3% |
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 15.5% | 23% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.3% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Haleakala National Park and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Makena. Close and well known come first.
13 mi National ParkHaleakala National Park854K visitors a year
13 mi Zoo & aquariumMaui Ocean Center
28 mi GardenKahanu Garden
17 mi MuseumAlexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
11 mi GardenKula Botanical Garden
19 mi GardenMaui Nui Botanical GardensPhoto credits
Haleakala National Park: Michael Oswald, Public domain · Maui Ocean Center: Richard N Horne, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kahanu Garden: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 · Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum: Joel Bradshaw, Public domain · Kula Botanical Garden: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us · Maui Nui Botanical Gardens: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us
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Everything we know about Makena
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Makena; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Makena residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Every workday, about 339 people come to Makena for work
Where Makena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Makena
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Mākena is a census-designated place (CDP) in the extreme southwest of the island of Maui in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 196, up from 99 in 2010. Prior to 2010, the area was part of the Wailea-Makena census-designated place.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Area code
- 808
Questions about Makena
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Makena, HI a good place to live?
Makena has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.