Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,512, settled in 1900.
The best of Paia’s subject grades are a B+ for health and a B for walkability; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Paia’s typical home value is $1,302,000, above both the Hawaii town median ($903,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($332,000). Only 5 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher July high than Paia. Homes are expensive, about $1.3 million for a typical one and 13.4 times the Kahului metro’s $97K median household income. 0.9% of the land in Paia is conserved, against 12% in Hawaii’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Paia has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Makawao Union Church and Paia School. Paia 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).
Where Paia beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Paia is from typical.
Paia 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).
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,499 in 2000, 2,470 in 2020. The archive holds 4 maps from 1954 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Paia 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Paia.
The median rent in Paia is $2,384 a month. The typical Paia home is worth about $1,302,000, about the same as a year ago, 56% above the Hawaii typical home. 59% of Paia households own their home.
| Paia | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,384 a month | $2,009 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Hawaii Department of Education school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paia Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 406 | C− |
| Doris Todd Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 228 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 94% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Paia beats the Hawaii average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 22% of adults binge drink in Paia. Among 93 Hawaii towns, just 8 have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Paia.
| Paia | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 76% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 45% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Paia | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 18.8% | 23% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.7% | 12.4% |
| More smokers | 14.4% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
People 65 and older are 10% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (38% statewide). 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Hawaii.
| Paia | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 10% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 31% | 29% |
| Median age | 37.8 years | 41.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 22% | 22% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.4 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women. Median age: women 34.0, men 39.2.
| Paia | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.7% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.4% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.1% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.3% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.6% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 22% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.8% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.1% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,500, single groups can be off by several points
Paia has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Paia’s January low is 64°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Paia for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Paia grew to 1,063 in 2023, 129 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (18%), Kahului (16%) and Wailuku (9%).
| Paia | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.2% | 3.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baldwin Beach Park | — | 11 |
| 2. Paia Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Lower Paia Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Paia. Close and well known come first.
12 mi National ParkHaleakala National Park854K visitors a year
37 mi National Historical ParkKalaupapa National Historical Park15K visitors a year
12 mi Zoo & aquariumMaui Ocean Center
6 mi MuseumAlexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
23 mi GardenKahanu Garden
8 mi GardenMaui Nui Botanical GardensHaleakala National Park: Michael Oswald, Public domain · Kalaupapa National Historical Park: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Maui Ocean Center: Richard N Horne, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum: Joel Bradshaw, Public domain · Kahanu Garden: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 · Maui Nui Botanical Gardens: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us
1 within 15 miles of the center of Paia
About 3 of every 100 Paia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
3 notable people were born in Paia.
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Pāʻia ([paːˈʔijə], lit. 'noisy') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States, on the northern coast of the island of Maui. The population was 2,470 at the 2020 census. Pāʻia is home to several restaurants, art galleries, surf shops and other tourist-oriented businesses. It was formerly home to a Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company mill from 1880 to 2000. Pāʻia is the first town on the Hana Highway when heading eastbound towards Hana. Pāʻia is located close to many internationally known windsurfing spots including Hoʻokipa and Spreckelsville. It is therefore sometimes called "The World Capital of Windsurfing".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Paia 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).
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
3 notable people were born here, including Elmer Cravalho and Beth Arnoult.
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