Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Kauai County | Hawaii Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,015,151 | $555,557 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.3% | 2.3% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,810 | $1,937 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.1% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Kauai County is about 83% higher than in Hawaii. Rent is about 7% lower than the Hawaii average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Kauai County, up about 9.3% and 5.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Kauai County rose about 42.9% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,267 to $1,810. Over the same span, rent in Hawaii rose about 34.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 10.8 yearly household incomes in Kauai County.
Buying the median-priced home in Kauai County costs roughly 46.7 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Kauai County. The price-to-rent ratio in Hawaii is about 23.9.
| Metric | Kauai County | Hawaii Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,015,151 | $555,557 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $94,192 | $98,332 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 10.8 | 5.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Kauai County rose about 92.7%, while median household income rose about 48.5% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Kauai County | Hawaii Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 51.9% | 54.1% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 25.3% | 32.5% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 22.8% | 13.4% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2009 | 2011 |
Kauai County has a homeownership rate of 51.9%, lower than the Hawaii average of 54.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 22.8%, compared with 13.4% in Hawaii.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Kauai County | Hawaii Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 3.10 people | 2.87 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1984 | 1981 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Kauai County was built around 1984. On average, 3.1 people live in a home with about 4.9 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Kauai County, Hawaii.
What is the median home price in Kauai County, Hawaii?
The median home price in Kauai County, Hawaii is $1,015,151, higher than the Hawaii average of $555,557.
What is the average home price in Kauai County, Hawaii?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Kauai County, Hawaii?
The median gross rent in Kauai County, Hawaii is $1,810 per month, lower than the Hawaii average of $1,937.
What was the median gross rent in Kauai County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Kauai County, Hawaii was $1,423 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Kauai County, Hawaii?
The price-to-rent ratio in Kauai County, Hawaii is about 46.7, meaning it would take roughly 46.7 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Kauai County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Kauai County, Hawaii?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Kauai County, up about 9.3% and 5.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Kauai County, Hawaii?
51.9% of households in Kauai County, Hawaii own their home, lower than the Hawaii average of 54.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Kauai County, Hawaii?
The housing vacancy rate in Kauai County, Hawaii is 22.8%, higher than the Hawaii average of 13.4%.