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

All states·Hawaii·Makawao

Maui County · Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina · population 7,297

Small-town feel
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
60
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Makawao stands

Steady, no major recent move.

Median home $1,116,540
1-year -2.7%
5-yr CAGR +6.0%
vs 5-yr peak -3.1%

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-02$1117k$557k$771k$985k$1199k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
10/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
40/100
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.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
36 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
69 · w22%
Distance from peak
71 · w18%
Home 10-yr CAGR
71 · w10%
Long thesis

Makawao has held up across the cycle: home values at $1,116,540 with +6.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Makawao carries a $1,116,540 median home with only -2.7% YoY. Premium pricing in a flat tape is the bear setup — you're paying for the trend that already ran while new buyers can't afford to extend it.

About Makawao

Makawao is a city in Maui County, Hawaii, with an estimated population of 7,297. It anchors the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina metro area. The median home value in Makawao is $1,116,540 as of 2026-04, down 2.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.0% annual growth (-3.1% from the 5-year peak). The composite momentum score is 60 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.0% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
○The data is the data: Makawao 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

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $1,116,540 with only -2.7% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
●Cooling: -2.7% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.

Seller

Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.

Investor

Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.

Local safety & alerts

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

NWS active alerts (HI)Hawaii Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

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 Makawao

Wailuku, HI54 · StableKahului, HI54 · StableKula, HI65 · RisingKailua, HI70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Makawao

ToolCan I afford Makawao?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Makawao rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Makawao to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolMakawao cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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 Makawao 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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