The Town Files

Wailea, Hawaii

Community in Maui County · population 6,027 (2020 Census)

Map: where Wailea is in HawaiiWailea
Median home
$1,534,800
Household income
$90,000
Jan low / Jul high
64° / 87°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
58.1

Wailea is a community of 6,027 people in Maui County, Hawaii. The median home is worth $1,534,800, above the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). It ranks better for retirees than 91% of Hawaii towns, better transit than 91% of Hawaii towns, hipper than 84% of Hawaii towns.

Wailea in our rankings:

How Wailea 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.

Wailea lifestyle rankings vs other Hawaii townsRetirement91st pctFamilies9th pctQuiet59th pctWalkability66th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals74th pctVibrancy80th pctHip & trendy84th pctCollege town43rd pctUpscale79th pctVacation homes84th pctSeaside character46th pctCycling66th pctTransit91st pctDriving4th 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 Wailea is worth $1,534,800, above the typical Hawaii town ($802,600). Homes cost about 17.1 times the median household income of $90,000, which is more affordable than 0% of Hawaii towns. Median rent is $2,554 a month. 69.8% of households own their home.

Wailea vs Maui County vs typical Hawaii townWaileaMaui CountyTypical Hawaii townHome value$1,534,800$904,700$802,600Household income$90,000$97,161$95,243Monthly rent$2,554$1,916$1,931
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Hawaii towns with 500+ people.
HousingWaileaTypical Hawaii town
Median home value$1,534,800$802,600
Median rent$2,554$1,931
Median household income$90,000$95,243
Home value ÷ income17.1×7.7×
Homeownership69.8%71.0%
Median year built19881983
Seasonal / vacation homes33.7%—

Who lives in Wailea

PeopleWaileaTypical Hawaii town
Median age58.142.2
Age 65 and over39.5%21.1%
Under 1810.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher49.7%30.4%
Below the poverty line14.0%10.1%
Veterans7.6%—
Born outside the U.S.16.6%—
Work from home29.0%8.1%
Average commute17.6 min29.1 min
Homes with broadband97.4%93.2%

Weather in Wailea

July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 63.5°F. About 15.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Hawaii town: 0.0 in). Expect about 26 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Wailea monthly temperatures and precipitation60°70°80°90°80°64°Jan80°63°Feb81°64°Mar83°65°Apr84°66°May86°68°Jun87°69°Jul87°69°Aug87°69°Sep86°68°Oct83°67°Nov81°65°DecPrecipitation (in)2.51.32.00.81.10.40.81.21.11.61.21.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Makena Golf Crs 249.1 station (2.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Wailea since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Hawaii town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on February 11, 2011 about 6.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 11, 2011.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Wailea by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s02000s12010s02020s
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 Wailea itself the ACS puts it at 6%.

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).

Towns near Wailea

Wailea questions

Is Wailea, Hawaii a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wailea scores better for retirees than 91% of Hawaii towns and quieter than 59%. 39.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 58.1).

How much does a house cost in Wailea?

The median owner-occupied home in Wailea is valued at $1,534,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $90,000, so homes cost about 17.1 times income. Median rent is $2,554 a month.

What is the weather like in Wailea?

July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 63.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 15.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Wailea get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Wailea 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 Wailea's Census boundary (GEOID 1576925). 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.