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Kauai County, HI

Rent vs Own in Kauai County, Hawaii

Buying the median Kauai County home costs roughly $4,826/mo against a $2,332/mo HUD rent, ownership runs well above the rent benchmark here, so the page focuses on why the stack is so heavy. Owner-occupied homes: 16,210.

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Renting is cheaper in Kauai County

Ownership works out near $4,826/mo while a comparable 2-bedroom rents for $2,332/mo - a wide monthly miss for buyers. That is a $2,494/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Kauai County

Primary driver

Home prices are extreme relative to local incomes

Median household income is $97,668, so the 8.9x home-price-to-income ratio is extreme even among expensive U.S. counties; property tax alone claims 1.9% of that income. Cash buyers, multi-income households, or a move well outside the median price band are the realistic paths, not a slightly larger down payment.

Decision signal 2

Ownership sits far above the rent benchmark

The $873,200 median home in Kauai County carries $1,866/yr in tax at 0.21%. Against HUD's $2,332/mo 2-bedroom rent, the ownership stack (~$4,826/mo) is a wide miss - roughly $2,494/mo. Here the useful question is which line item (price, tax, or insurance) dominates the overage, not whether a small assumption change closes it.

Decision signal 3

Renting compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Kauai County ranks 4 of 4 Hawaii counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It is the state's least buy-favorable county by this measure.

Decision signal 4

The tax rate is a national tailwind

Kauai County's 0.21% effective rate is among the lowest of 3,135 tracked counties: roughly 100% pay a higher rate. That low tax line is one reason owning can compete here.

Decision signal 5

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Kauai County from $2,135/mo in FY2025 to $2,332/mo in FY2026: it increased by $197/mo (+9.2%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$4,826
Mortgage (P&I) $4,415
Property Tax $156
Insurance (est.) $255
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$2,332
Studio$1,766
1-Bedroom$1,777
2-Bedroom$2,332
3-Bedroom$2,866
4-Bedroom$3,179

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$97,668
$8,139/mo
Home Price / Income
8.9x
Expensive (>5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
1.9%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Even with the loan gone, the largest group of Kauai County owners still owes $3,000 or more every year - a recurring holding cost of a few hundred dollars a month, which is why "paid off" understates the real cost of keeping property here.

Kauai County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

When the ownership stack already sits far above HUD rent, that annual bill is less a tie-breaker and more confirmation that holding costs stay material long after the loan is gone.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Honolulu County
Home: $897,500 Tax: $2,553/yr
Hawaii County
Home: $519,300 Tax: $1,459/yr
Maui County
Home: $904,700 Tax: $1,466/yr
Kalawao County
Home: N/A Tax: N/A/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

How much house can you afford in Kauai County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $97,668 household here can afford up to $293,004 -- about $580,196 short of this county's $873,200 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Kauai County, Hawaii? ▼
Owning the median Kauai County home is a wide miss versus HUD's 2-bedroom rent (about $2,494/mo more) on the standard stack. Treat this as a tenure/equity decision first; the cash-flow comparison alone will not favour buying here.
What is the median home price in Kauai County? ▼
$873,200, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. What stands out more than the price itself is the tax load on it: this county's 0.21% effective rate sits near the low end of the 3,135 counties tracked here.
What is the average rent in Kauai County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $2,332/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $1,413/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How does Kauai County compare to other Hawaii counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 4 Hawaii counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Kauai County lands at spot 4, putting it in the more rent-favorable quarter of the state. The <a href="/states/hawaii">Hawaii state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
Is rent going up or down in Kauai County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 9.2% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →