Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Today 2,512 people live in this town, first 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 value of a typical home 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 midsummer 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 rent at the middle of the market in Paia is $2,384 a month. 59% of households live in a home they own in the town.
| 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
The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Its two schools are below. Paia’s only public school teaches 406 students.
| 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
Of the losses FEMA expects in Paia, 42% come from inland flooding and 30% from tsunamis. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 94% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Paia after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among adults in Paia, 18% have been diagnosed with depression. Against the Hawaii average, Paia comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 5. Two figures for adults in the town: 72% had a checkup this year, 41% sleep under 7 hours.
| 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
In Paia, 20% of residents are under 18. People 65 and older are 10% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (38% statewide). Hawaii has 36% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 40%.
| 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
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For residents in Paia, the share who live below the poverty line is 17%. Just 9% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Jobs based in Paia grew to 1,063 in 2023, 129 more than in 2013. The town’s mean commuting time is 31 minutes.
| 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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