County housing intelligence
Hawaii Housing Market by County
Hawaii is not one housing market. Across 5 counties, the median county home value is $838,250 and the median county rent is $1,810/mo. The useful question is not whether Hawaii is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$838,250
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,810/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
5
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Hawaii Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Honolulu County, Maui County, Kauai County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Hawaii County, Kauai County, Maui County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Honolulu County, Maui County, Kauai County lead on rent, while Kalawao County, Hawaii County, Kauai County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Hawaii County, Honolulu County, Kauai County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Hawaii County
$486,400
- 2. Kauai County
$817,900
- 3. Maui County
$858,600
- 4. Honolulu County
$873,000
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Hawaii County
6.3x home-value-to-income
- 2. Honolulu County
8.4x home-value-to-income
- 3. Kauai County
8.7x home-value-to-income
- 4. Maui County
9.0x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Kalawao County
$1,300/mo
- 2. Hawaii County
$1,411/mo
- 3. Kauai County
$1,810/mo
- 4. Maui County
$1,863/mo
- 5. Honolulu County
$2,054/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Kalawao County
25.0% rent burden
- 2. Kauai County
29.0% rent burden
- 3. Hawaii County
30.0% rent burden
- 4. Maui County
32.0% rent burden
- 5. Honolulu County
33.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Maui County
0.17% effective tax rate
- 2. Kauai County
0.23% effective tax rate
- 3. Honolulu County
0.28% effective tax rate
- 4. Hawaii County
0.29% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Hawaii County
$215/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Kauai County
$-24/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Maui County
$-162/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Honolulu County
$-182/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Honolulu County
$104,264 income, 8.4x value-to-income
- 2. Hawaii County
$77,215 income, 6.3x value-to-income
- 3. Kauai County
$93,612 income, 8.7x value-to-income
- 4. Maui County
$95,076 income, 9.0x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Hawaii County $486,400 home value, $77,215 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Hawaii County $486,400 home value, 0.29% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Honolulu County $2,054/mo rent, 33.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Honolulu County $873,000 home value, $104,264 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Hawaii County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii County | $486,400 | $1,411/mo | $77,215 | 6.3x | 0.29% |
| Honolulu County | $873,000 | $2,054/mo | $104,264 | 8.4x | 0.28% |
| Kauai County | $817,900 | $1,810/mo | $93,612 | 8.7x | 0.23% |
| Maui County | $858,600 | $1,863/mo | $95,076 | 9.0x | 0.17% |
| Kalawao County | N/A | $1,300/mo | $86,250 | N/A | N/A |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Hawaii by county?
What is the typical rent in Hawaii by county?
Which Hawaii counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.