The Town Files

Kahului, Hawaii

Community in Maui County · population 28,219 (2020 Census)

Map: where Kahului is in HawaiiKahului
Median home
$862,600
Household income
$98,077
Jan low / Jul high
64° / 89°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
43.0

Kahului is a community of 28,219 people in Maui County, Hawaii. The median home is worth $862,600, above the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). It ranks better transit than 93% of Hawaii towns, better for first-time buyers than 83% of Hawaii towns, more walkable than 81% of Hawaii towns.

Kahului in our rankings:

How Kahului ranks

Percentile among Hawaii towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Hawaii towns.

Kahului lifestyle rankings vs other Hawaii townsRetirement23rd pctFamilies43rd pctQuiet13th pctWalkability81st pctFirst-time buyers83rd pctYoung professionals25th pctVibrancy81st pctHip & trendy46th pctCollege town78th pctUpscale24th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character29th pctCycling73rd pctTransit93rd pctDriving31st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Kahului is worth $862,600, above the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). Homes cost about 8.8 times the median household income of $98,077, which is more affordable than 34% of Hawaii towns. Median rent is $1,488 a month. 64.7% of households own their home.

Kahului vs Maui County vs typical Hawaii townKahuluiMaui CountyTypical Hawaii townHome value$862,600$904,700$802,600Household income$98,077$97,161$95,243Monthly rent$1,488$1,916$1,931
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Hawaii towns with 500+ people.
HousingKahuluiTypical Hawaii town
Median home value$862,600$802,600
Median rent$1,488$1,931
Median household income$98,077$95,243
Home value ÷ income8.8×7.7×
Homeownership64.7%71.0%
Median year built19781983
Seasonal / vacation homes1.8%—

Who lives in Kahului

PeopleKahuluiTypical Hawaii town
Median age43.042.2
Age 65 and over21.2%21.1%
Under 1820.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.6%30.4%
Below the poverty line8.7%10.1%
Veterans4.5%—
Born outside the U.S.29.6%—
Work from home5.0%8.1%
Average commute22.8 min29.1 min
Homes with broadband88.0%93.2%

Weather in Kahului

July highs average 89.2°F and January lows 63.6°F. About 16.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Hawaii town: 0.0 in). Expect about 39 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Kahului monthly temperatures and precipitation60°70°80°90°82°64°Jan82°64°Feb83°65°Mar85°67°Apr87°68°May88°70°Jun89°72°Jul90°72°Aug90°71°Sep89°70°Oct86°68°Nov83°66°DecPrecipitation (in)2.42.02.61.30.70.20.50.50.50.81.82.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kahului Ap station (3.2 mi away); snow from Puunene 396 (2.4 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kahului since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Hawaii town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on February 11, 2011 about 6.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 11, 2011.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Kahului by decade01950s11960s01970s01980s01990s12000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Maui County since 1996

Storm events in Maui County since 1996 by typeFlood58Drought492Wildfire38High Surf1,037High Wind30Lightning10Heavy Rain627Waterspout9
NOAA Storm Events Database, Maui County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 111 deaths recorded.

Maui County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tsunami.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 7, 2026HurricaneDR-4951: Hurricane Lala
October 7, 2026HurricaneDR-4952: Hurricane Lowell
September 25, 2026Tropical StormEM-3654: Tropical Storm Nolo
April 7, 2026FloodDR-4909: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
September 23, 2025FireFM-5613: Holomua Fire

Jobs and pay in Maui County

Maui County had 73,656 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,830 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Kahului itself the ACS puts it at 3.5%.

Largest industries in Maui CountyHotels & restaurants19,265 jobs · $53,675Retail8,486 jobs · $44,295Health care & social assistan…8,147 jobs · $70,514Administrative & support4,776 jobs · $49,198Construction4,770 jobs · $91,152Transportation & warehousing3,578 jobs · $55,598
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Maui County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Maui 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Kahului

5 public schools with 5,130 students, about 16.2 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Maui High School9-121,90816.3
Maui Waena Intermediate School6-81,12617.1
Kahului Elementary SchoolPK-581415.1
Lihikai Elementary SchoolPK-569715.8
Pomaikai Elementary SchoolPK-558516.7

Towns near Kahului

Kahului questions

Is Kahului, Hawaii a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kahului scores better for retirees than 23% of Hawaii towns and quieter than 13%. 21.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.0).

How much does a house cost in Kahului?

The median owner-occupied home in Kahului is valued at $862,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $98,077, so homes cost about 8.8 times income. Median rent is $1,488 a month.

What is the weather like in Kahului?

July highs average 89.2°F and January lows 63.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 16.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Kahului get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kahului since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on February 11, 2011. The typical Hawaii town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Kahului's Census boundary (GEOID 1522700). Comparisons use the median of Hawaii towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.