On the beautiful Mauna Loa Creek, Hawaii, 1901
Maunaloa’s story
100 years in pictures
The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 2 maps from 1952 on.
- 1926Maunaloa is settled
MaunaloaHI
Population
293
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$285K
−11.9% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
31.4
years
Jobs based here
28
A commuter town
Is Maunaloa a good place to live?
44% of residents live below the poverty line in Maunaloa, against 9.7% in Hawaii’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 39 in Hawaii we compare has a lower midpoint home value than Maunaloa. Maunaloa’s trail network density is 2.0 miles per square mile, against 0.6 in Hawaii’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Maunaloa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Maunaloa stand out
Where Maunaloa beats most towns.
Small town
293 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
Moving to Maunaloa: who provides what
Maunaloa is unincorporated, so Maui County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMaui Electric Co Ltd42.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKipu water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 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 code9677096770 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 Maunaloa.
Housing
The median rent in Maunaloa is lower than in most of Hawaii or the rest of the country
A typical home in Maunaloa is worth about $285,000, down 11.9% in a year, 66% below the Hawaii typical home. Among households locally, 37% own their home.
$285KZillow home value
| Maunaloa | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 37% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,092 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Maunaloa$285K
Hawaii$833K
−11.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Maunaloa’s kids attend
The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maunaloa Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 49 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Top of a very high hazard risk in Maunaloa: inland flooding
Maunaloa’s FEMA risk score stands at 89 of 100. FEMA puts nearly two thirds of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 14% to wildfires. Federal aid has come to Maunaloa households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2026.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Maunaloa stands out in Hawaii and nationally, with the median household income lower than most
Maunaloa’s average trip to work comes in at 16 minutes. For most workers, Maunaloa is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (31%), Kaunakakai (20%) and Kualapuu (9%). Half of commuters travel less than 43 miles.
1%work in town
| Maunaloa | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 3.7% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Maunaloa1%
Urban Honolulu31%
Kaunakakai20%
Kualapuu9%
Pukalani4%
43 mi
median commute distance
28
jobs based in Maunaloa
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Maunaloa brings mild winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 64° and snow is almost unheard of.
87°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter65–79°
Spring67–81°
Summer73–86°
Fall71–85°
87°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Maunaloa is
In Maunaloa, 27% of adults worry about having enough food. Only 9 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Maunaloa. Two figures for adults in the town: 19% report frequent mental distress, 16% report frequent physical distress.
| Maunaloa | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 76% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
0 better10 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Maunaloa | HI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.4% | 8.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.1% | 5.8% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.2% | 7.5% |
Molokai General Hospital
24.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0.9% of the land in Maunaloa is protected from building
1.4 miles of trail. Only 5 of the 86 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Maunaloa.
0.9%conserved
0.9%
conserved · 4 of 470 acres
1.4 mi
of trails · 2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Maunaloa
17pages on Maunaloa
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Maunaloa; the nearest are
Kapiolani Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Honolulu39.1 mi$3,284 in-state tuitionUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaUniversity or college · Public · Honolulu40.7 mi$12,186 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Maunaloa residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Maunaloa for work
Where Maunaloa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
28jobs based in Maunaloa
1%of working residents work in town
43 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Maunaloa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Maunaloa, HI a good place to live?
Maunaloa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.