On CDC estimates, Wailea is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns
Wailea differs from Hawaii on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 10 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wailea. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wailea
Cancer, arthritis and COPD run high in Wailea
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.2%), vs 6.7% across Hawaii. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (31.1%), vs 23.2% across Hawaii. COPD is also above the state: 7%, vs 5.3% across Hawaii. In all, Wailea runs above Hawaii on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 40% of residents are 65 or older (Hawaii 21%), and cancer, arthritis and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Wailea is short on primary care and mental health care
Wailea’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 ↓
Wailea is an active town
Only 17.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Hawaii. Habits ↓
Wailea adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (27% vs 32%) and lack of emotional support (21.6% vs 30.1%) both run below Hawaii. Mind & connection ↓
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 Wailea’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Wailea’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wailea is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns, #33 of 93 in Hawaii. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 93% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 51%.
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). Wailea’s median household income is $90,000; among the 9,954 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($68K–$113K), it’s healthier than 84%, about where its income would put it.
Most Hawaii towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Wailea is healthier than 65% of graded towns, against 81% nationally.
Out of every 100 Wailea adults…
Wailea runs above HI on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Wailea is an older town: 40% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Hawaii. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Wailea as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Wailea
No hospital or community health center in Wailea 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 Wailea; ≈ 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.
2.6 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
How Wailea adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Wailea does better than Hawaii.
1 in 4 Wailea 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.
Keeping up with care
Share of Wailea adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Hawaii.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.9% of Wailea adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.2% across Hawaii.
Wailea and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wailea adults live with a disability (Hawaii 28.7%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wailea
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wailea is better than Hawaii on 10 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Hawaii figure falls inside Wailea’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wailea | HI | U.S. | vs HI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.6%14.3–18.9 | 18.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.6–14.8 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.4%11.8–15 | 14.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.1%23.3–33.3 | 25.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12%10.5–13.7 | 12.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.1%31.7–38.8 | 31.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.5%34.8–42.3 | 36.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.1%28–34.3 | 23.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.2–11.6 | 9.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.2%11.1–13.3 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.9%7.1–8.8 | 6.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7%6–8.1 | 5.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.8–4.6 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.7%6.3–9.5 | 8.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.2%10.2–14.2 | 11% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 17.8%14.8–20.9 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.4%15.8–21 | 17.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.5%31.9–41.6 | 45.7% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.7%3.9–5.5 | 5.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.2%75.1–81.1 | 77.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.1%66.9–73.2 | 68.3% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.4%86.9–89.7 | 82.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.4%75.1–81.3 | 76.9% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69%65–72.9 | 62.6% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.4%73.8–84.5 | 78.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.2%14.8–19.8 | 16% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27%23.3–31.3 | 32% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.6%18.5–25.1 | 30.1% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12%10.2–14.2 | 17.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.9%6.6–9.3 | 10.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.9%4.1–5.9 | 5.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.9%5.1–6.9 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.9%9–13.1 | 12.2% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.4%24.9–32 | 28.7% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.1%13.1–17.1 | 13.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.9%9.5–12.3 | 12.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.8%7.7–9.8 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 5.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.9%6–7.7 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.3–4.2 | 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 Wailea
Is Wailea a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wailea is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #33 of 93 in Hawaii. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 84%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wailea?
CDC estimates 28.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.3% and 33.3%, against 25.6% across Hawaii and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wailea?
Kula Hospital in Kula, 5.2 miles in a straight line from Wailea’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Wailea have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.9–5.5%), 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 Wailea 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 Wailea.
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.