Kihei, HI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

Maui County · Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina · population 21,423

Small-town feel
View watchlist →
46
Cooling
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Kihei stands

Home values down 9.6% in the last year. rents up 7.2% in the last year.

Median home $998,938
1-year -9.6%
5-yr CAGR +4.6%
vs 5-yr peak -13.2%

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-09$999k$535k$756k$977k$1197k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
48/100
Marginal for remote
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$3,812/mo$2,877$3,459$4,040202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent89125100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 21.8
Lean rent

At a 21.8 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Kihei. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
6 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
63 · w22%
Distance from peak
35 · w18%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
66 · w10%
Long thesis

Kihei has held up across the cycle: home values at $998,938 with +4.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Kihei is down 9.6% over the last 12 months and the trend isn't flattening. Falling knife rule applies: you don't catch one with your hands, you wait for it to hit the floor and stop moving.

About Kihei

Kihei is a city in Maui County, Hawaii, with an estimated population of 21,423. It anchors the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina metro area. The median home value in Kihei is $998,938 as of 2026-04, down 9.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.6% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 13% below its 5-year peak. Rents in Kihei average $3,812 per month, up 7.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 46 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.

Bull case

Hot rental market: rents up 7.2% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.
The data is the data: Kihei has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

Bear case

Prices actively falling: down 9.6% in the last 12 months — buyer sentiment has flipped. Sellers competing on price.
Expensive AND not growing: median home $998,938 with only -9.6% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
13% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.
Rental squeeze: rents up 7.2% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.

Playbook

Buyer

You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it.

Seller

Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.

Investor

Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Maui County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Maui County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Kihei

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
80° / 65°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
87° / 73°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
271
~74% of year
Annual precip
65″ rain
0″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Kihei listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$94,000
Hawaii state median
Top industries (state-level)
TourismMilitaryHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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