Maui County (Hawaiian: Kalana ʻo Maui), officially the County of Maui, is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It consists of the islands of Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi (except for a portion of Molokaʻi that comprises Kalawao County), Kahoʻolawe, and Molokini. The latter two are uninhabited. As of the 2020 census, the population was 164,754. The county seat is Wailuku.
Maui County is included in the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
Government
Maui County has a quasi-mayor-council form of municipal government. Unlike traditional municipal governments, the county government is established by the state legislature by statute and is not chartered. Executive authority is vested in the mayor, elected by the voters on a nonpartisan basis to a four-year term (with a limit of two consecutive full terms). Legislative authority is vested in the nine-member Maui County Council. All seats in the county council have residency requirements, but all Maui County voters may vote in elections for all nine seats regardless of residence. Members of the county council are elected on a nonpartisan basis to two-year terms (with a limit of five consecutive full terms).
The mayor of Maui County is Richard Bissen, serving since January 2023. Richard Bissen formerly served as a Judge for the 2nd Hawaii State Circuit Court.
The parade banner of the county, described simply as "parade banner of the County of Maui", this banner is vertically divided light blue-light green-light blue, by red stripes, with a seal in the center.
The Maui County Police Department provides law enforcement services for the county. The current chief is John Pelletier.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,398 square miles (6,210 km2), of which 1,162 square miles (3,010 km2) is land and 1,237 square miles (3,200 km2) (51.6%) is water. The islands that comprise Maui County correspond to the remnants of the ancient landmass of Maui Nui. The highest point in the county is the peak of Haleakalā at 10,023 feet (3,055 m). Haleakalā is a shield volcano located on the eastern side of the island of Maui.
Adjacent counties
Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii – southeast
Kalawao County, Hawaii – north
Honolulu County, Hawaii – northwest
National protected areas
Haleakalā National Park
Kakahaiʻa National Wildlife Refuge
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 164,754. Of the residents, 21.3% were under the age of 18 and 19.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 42.4 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.9 males. 78.6% of residents lived in urban areas and 21.4% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 32.9% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 26.9% Asian, 12.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.6% from some other race, and 24.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.3% of the population.
There were 56,063 households in the county, of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 71,439 housing units, of which 21.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 58.6% were owner-occupied and 41.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.
The most reported detailed ancestries in 2020 were:
Filipino (28.4%)
Native Hawaiian (24%)
Japanese (12.9%)
German (11%)
English (10.8%)
Irish (10.5%)
Chinese (8.8%)
Portuguese (6.9%)
Mexican (4%)
Italian (3.5%)
2020 religious survey
Maui County is among the most religiously diverse counties in the US. A 2020 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute calculated a religious diversity score of 0.867 for Maui County, where a score of 1 represents complete diversity (each religious group of equal size), and 0 being a total lack of diversity. Only eight counties in the US had higher diversity scores than Maui County, three of which were boroughs of New York City.
Economy
Top employers
According to the county's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the county are the following:
Transportation
Airports
Three airports provide air service to the island of Maui:
Hana Airport provides regional service to eastern Maui
Kahului Airport in central Maui is the island's busiest airport
Kapalua Airport provides regional service to western Maui
There are also airports on Maui's smaller adjacent islands:
Lānaʻi Airport provides regional service to Lānaʻi
Molokai Airport provides regional service to Molokaʻi
Major highways
Route 30
Route 31
Route 32
Route 36
Route 37
Route 44
Route 305
Route 310
Route 311
Route 320
Route 330
Route 340
Route 377
Route 378
Route 380
Route 440
Route 450
Route 460
Route 465
Route 470
Route 480
Route 3000
Communities
Unincorporated communities
Ah Fong Village
Haʻikū
Kaumalapau
Keʻanae
Kīpahulu
Nāpili
Puʻunēnē
Spreckelsville
Waiheʻe
Wailua
Former communities
Waikola
Politics
Like all of Hawaii, Maui County is reliably Democratic. It has only been carried by the Republican presidential candidate three times since its statehood in 1959: in 1960, 1972, and 1984.
Maui County was the only county in the United States to be won by Dennis Kucinich during his unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic Party nomination to the presidency in 2004.
Education
Hawaii Department of Education operates public schools in Maui County.
Sister cities
Maui County's sister cities are: