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City · 7,353 residents · Maui County, Hawaii

Makawao , Hawaii

In Makawao, a typical home is worth $888,000 and typical rent is $1,908 a month. Home values, rent and income are very close to those of all of Maui County.

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  • Typical home value

    $888,000

    About the same as the county

    6% above Hawaii

    • Makawao
    • Maui
    • Hawaii

  • Typical rent

    $1,908a month

    About the same as the county

    3% below Hawaii

    • Makawao
    • Maui
    • Hawaii

  • Typical household income

    $96,444a year

    About the same as the county

    4% below Hawaii

    • Makawao
    • Maui
    • Hawaii

  • Households that own their home

    67%

    2 points above the county

    4 points above Hawaii

    • Makawao
    • Maui
    • Hawaii

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$1,101,144
0.6% less than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$3,333 a month

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Makawao is in Maui County. The FHA loan limit ($1,299,500 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Maui County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Makawao apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Makawao has the 3rd smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 57 cities in Hawaii with more than 5,000 people (41%).

  2. Nearby, in Kahului, the typical rent is $1,488: 22% less than in Makawao ($1,908).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Makawao

What homes there are in Makawao, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses, standing on their own, make up 85% of homes here, against 60% in Maui County.

Year built

The typical year built in Makawao is 1982, about the same as in Maui County (1985).

In Makawao, 61% of homes have 3 bedrooms or more, more than in Maui County (53%).

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,709 a month

Maui County: $2,821 a month

Without a mortgage

$486 a month

Maui County: $593 a month

Owners with a mortgage

66%

Maui County: 63%

Owning costs about the same in Makawao as in Maui County: with a mortgage, $2,709 a month; without one, $486.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in Makawao rose 47% since 2015–2019, more than in Maui County (43%).

Rents in Makawao rose faster than in Maui County: 43% since 2015–2019, against 27%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureMakawaoMaui CountyHawaiiUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate17.6%7.4%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.9%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate10.1%8.8%3.4%
People per household 2.762.902.852.53
Drive alone 76%70%65%69%
Carpool 8%13%14%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%4%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%5%3%
Work from home 13%10%10%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutesUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

A household in Makawao has 2.76 people on average, about the same as in Maui County (2.90).

In Makawao, 13% of workers work from home, more than in Maui County (10%).

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Makawao?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Makawao, worth $888,000, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 86% of the typical household income in Makawao, which is $96,444 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $296,710 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Maui County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Makawao. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $31,080 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$6,923

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$871,916
Total interest
$1,254,483
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $14,996 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,250 a month

  • Tight

    $2,250 to $2,893 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,893 a month

    Your payment · 86%

Compared with the typical household income in Makawao ($96,444 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$6,923
Principal & interest$5,907
Property tax$111
Home insurance$370
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$536

You need at least $31,080 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Makawao and Maui County

Makawao is in Maui County, Hawaii. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Makawao's own numbers

Typical home value
$888,000
Typical monthly rent
$1,908
Typical yearly household income
$96,444
Households that own their home
67%
Effective property tax rate
0.15%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Maui County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,299,500
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,299,500
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,656
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+55%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Maui County.

Everything about Maui County

Buying

Buying a home in Makawao

A typical home in Makawao is worth $888,000: about the same as the county and 6% above Hawaii. With the typical household income in Makawao ($96,444 a year), a typical home costs 9.2 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Makawao 9.2 years
  • Maui 9.3 years
  • Hawaii 8.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Maui County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Maui County rose 95% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Maui County.

Period County Hawaii U.S.
Last year (2025) +4.3% +2.9% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +55% +46% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +95% +73% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Makawao next to Maui County, Hawaii and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Makawao $888,000
  • Maui $904,700
  • Hawaii $839,100
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Makawao $1,908
  • Maui $1,916
  • Hawaii $1,971
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Makawao $96,444
  • Maui $97,161
  • Hawaii $100,389
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Makawao next to Maui County and Hawaii
Measure Makawao Maui County Hawaii U.S.
Typical home value $888,000 $904,700 $839,100 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,908 $1,916 $1,971 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $96,444 $97,161 $100,389 $80,734
Households that own their home 67% 66% 63% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,353 $1,466 $2,239 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.15% 0.16% 0.27% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 41% 56% 57% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Maui County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Makawao

For a typical $888,000 home in Makawao, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Makawao's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $6,923a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $31,080
    Cash to close
    $57,720
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $536

  • Conventional, 5% down $6,618a month

    Down payment
    $44,400
    Cash to close
    $71,040
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $422

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $5,293a month

    Down payment
    $177,600
    Cash to close
    $204,240
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $6,114a month

    Down payment
    $133,200
    Cash to close
    $159,840
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Makawao and for Maui County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Makawao

0.15%of the home’s value each year

$1,353 a year for the typical owner in Makawao.

  • Makawao 0.15%
  • Maui 0.16%
  • Hawaii 0.27%

What Hawaii publishes Each county runs its own property tax (Hawaii Department of Taxation)

Exemptions and deadlines in Hawaii

Flood risk in Maui County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Maui County.

FEMA’s maps count no homes in the high-risk zone in Maui County. That does not mean it cannot flood: check your address.

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Makawao

Typical rent in Makawao is $1,908 a month: about the same as the county. In Makawao, 41% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Maui County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,656 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $51.08 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Maui County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,850 $35.58 $74,000
1 bedroom $2,030 $39.04 $81,200
2 bedrooms $2,656 $51.08 $106,240
3 bedrooms $3,351 $64.44 $134,040
4 bedrooms $4,143 $79.67 $165,720

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Makawao

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Makawao is in ZIP code 96768.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,620: $36 less than the fair market rent for Maui County ($2,656).

  • 96768 $2,620$3,310

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Makawao when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Makawao

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Makawao. These are the largest.

  • Hale Mahaolu Eha 1057 Makawao Ave, Makawao 96768 40 homes, 39 low-income · For older adults (808) 573-1647
  • Hale Mahaolu Ewalu Phase II 84 Ohia Ku St, Makawao 96768 22 low-income homes · 1 bd: 22 · In service since 2020 · For older adults

See all 38 buildings in Maui County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Makawao

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 3 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Maui County; none says it serves in Spanish.

An older woman smiles in front of her apartment building.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Makawao

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Makawao or Maui County. The ones below are statewide in Hawaii: they work in Makawao the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Hawaii

  • Hale Kamaʻāina Mortgage Program

    Statewide in Hawaii

    Hawaii state corporation 30-year fixed mortgage for first-time buyers, with optional down payment assistance whose terms the agency has not yet published. Offered by Hawaiʻi Housing Finance & Development Corporation (HHFDC).

    Type not stated

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Makawao

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Makawao, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Hale Mahaolu Homeownership/Housing Counseling

    95 Mahalani Street, Suite #28-2A, Wailuku · 11 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (808) 242-7027

  • Hawaiian Community Assets, Inc. - Wailuku Branch

    1950 E Vineyard St, Wailuku · 12 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (808) 727-8870

  • LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF HAWAII - Wailuku Branch

    24 N. Church street, Wailuku · 12 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    (808) 244-3731

Every agency in Maui County All counseling agencies in Hawaii

Help in Spanish near Makawao

None of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Makawao

HUD’s record names them for Makawao or Maui County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

All housing agencies in Hawaii Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Maui County

These cities are also in Maui County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Maui County Housing in Hawaii

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Makawao, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Maui County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Makawao.

All guides
A mother and her daughters smile together on a mountain trail with a snowy peak behind them.

Questions

Housing questions about Makawao

Short answers with the numbers for Makawao and all of Maui County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Makawao?

The typical home value in Makawao is $888,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Maui County it is $904,700.

How much does it cost to rent in Makawao?

Typical rent in Makawao is $1,908 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Maui County is $2,656.

What is the FHA loan limit in Makawao?

Makawao uses the FHA limit for all of Maui County (2026): $1,299,500 for a one-unit home and $2,499,100 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Makawao?

The typical homeowner in Makawao pays $1,353 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.15% of the home’s value; in Maui County, the rate is 0.16%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Makawao?

There are 3 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Maui County. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).