Key takeaway: Three years after the 2023 fire, West Maui listing rents average about $2,600 for a one-bedroom and HUD’s benchmark for ZIP 96761 is $2,280. About 600 Lahaina homes had been rebuilt by August 2026, FEMA housing help ends in February 2027, and vacation rentals in many apartment-zoned condos must end by January 1, 2029. Numbers checked October 31, 2026.
West Maui is still rebuilding, and its housing costs reflect a smaller supply, displaced residents and a pending end to many vacation rentals. ZIP 96761 runs from Lahaina through Kāʻanapali, Honokōwai, Nāpili and Kapalua. Census figures for the area are mostly from before the August 2023 fire, and there is no official post-fire population count.
How much is rent in West Maui?
| Measure | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| HUD Small Area FMR, ZIP 96761 | $2,280 | $2,980 | FY2027 (from Oct 1, 2026) |
| Zumper average, Lahaina | $2,600 | $3,200 | Oct 31, 2026 |
HUD figures: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026), as republished by FairMarketRentMap; HUD’s summary pages show only county figures for the neighbor islands. These are 40th-percentile rents including utilities, a voucher benchmark rather than an asking price. Zumper figures are averages of current listings, all property types.
What fire-affected renters actually pay differs from listings: a University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO) survey found studio and one-bedroom rents for survivors back to about $1,200, roughly pre-fire levels, while two-bedroom-plus rents stayed above $2,000, against $1,600 before the fire (Civil Beat, Aug 2026).
What do homes cost in West Maui?
| Area | Median single-family | Median condo |
|---|---|---|
| Lahaina | $2,000,000 (9 sales) | $648,750 (14 sales) |
| Kāʻanapali | $2,625,000 (4 sales) | $1,053,750 (29 sales) |
| Nāpili / Kahana / Honokōwai | $1,500,000 (6 sales) | $560,000 (39 sales) |
| Kapalua | no sales | $1,335,000 (9 sales) |
REALTORS Association of Maui MLS via Fidelity National Title: January–April 2026. Few sales, so treat these as rough.
How far along is the Lahaina rebuild?
As of August 7, 2026, about 600 Lahaina homes had been rebuilt and were occupied, about 400 more were under construction, and more than 1,200 units were in permitting (Hawaii News Now). Only 7% of displaced families were back in their own homes three years after the fire (UHERO via UH Mānoa). FEMA extended temporary housing assistance for nearly 1,000 households through February 2027 (Maui Now, Jan 2026). From December 1, 2026, households in FEMA temporary housing pay 75% of HUD’s Fair Market Rent for their unit size, about $1,992 a month for a two-bedroom (75% of Maui County’s $2,656 FY2027 benchmark), until the program ends February 28, 2027 (FEMA announcement of Oct 2, 2026, via The Garden Island, Oct 15, 2026).
What do West Maui households earn?
The median household income is $88,889 (±$6,274) in the Lahaina census-designated place and $105,565 in Nāpili-Honokōwai (ACS 2020–2024), mostly measured before the fire. UHERO found more than 63% of fire-affected households were worse off financially than before (Civil Beat, Aug 2026).
What costs are specific to West Maui?
- The rent cap. On Maui island, the governor’s 33rd wildfire proclamation (October 16, 2026) keeps rents from rising above what was charged on August 9, 2023, with exceptions for documented added operating costs and some affordable projects, through December 15, 2026 unless extended (Office of the Governor). The same proclamation bans unsolicited offers to buy property in ZIPs 96761, 96767 and 96799.
- Vacation-rental phase-out comes first here. Bill 9 ends vacation rentals in apartment-zoned “Minatoya list” condos in West Maui by January 1, 2029, two years before South Maui; lawsuits are pending, and Bill 88 lets some condos seek hotel zoning to keep them (Maui Now; Hotel Online).
- One road. Honoapiʻilani Highway is the main route to Central Maui, so jobs and shopping across the island mean a long, sometimes slow drive. Maui Bus runs the Lahaina Villager and West Maui Express (Maui County).
- Insurance and rebuilding costs. Expect higher homeowners quotes and contractor waits; see homeowners insurance.
How does West Maui compare with other Maui towns?
| Town | 1BR rent, HUD benchmark | Median single-family sale | Mean commute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului–Wailuku (96732 / 96793) | $1,800 / $1,890 | $1,100,000 (both towns, YTD Apr) | 19–23 min |
| Kīhei (96753) | $2,390 | $1,300,000 (YTD Apr) | 22 min |
| West Maui: Lahaina (96761) | $2,280 | $2,000,000 (Lahaina, 9 sales, YTD Apr) | 20 min |
Rent: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026), as republished by FairMarketRentMap; HUD’s summary pages show only county figures for the neighbor islands. These are 40th-percentile rents including utilities, a voucher benchmark rather than an asking price. Sales: REALTORS Association of Maui MLS district medians, January–April 2026, via Fidelity National Title. Commute: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter (census-designated place).
More: Maui cost of living · rent by island.
Sources
- FairMarketRentMap: HUD FY2027 SAFMR, ZIP 96761
- Zumper: Lahaina
- Fidelity National Title: Maui statistics, YTD April 2026
- Civil Beat: after Maui fires, rents have dropped (Aug 2026)
- UH Mānoa News: UHERO three-year survey
- Hawaii News Now: rebuild update (Aug 2026)
- Maui Now: FEMA housing extended (Jan 2026)
- Census Reporter: Lahaina CDP
- Governor: 33rd wildfire proclamation
- Maui Now: Bill 9 lawsuits
- Hotel Online: Bill 88
- Maui County: bus route maps