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The cost of staying home

Understand why island housing costs so much, and what that means for your plans.

Lesson 1 of 4

Why homes cost so much here

Hawaiʻi has limited buildable land, much of it protected or held for agriculture, plus slow and expensive permitting and construction. Every board and nail is shipped in.

Demand comes from residents, military families with housing allowances, and buyers of second homes and vacation rentals. When supply grows slowly and demand keeps coming, prices climb. Hawaiʻi's cost of living runs about 87% above the national average, and housing is the biggest reason.

Ask Kuleana about this

Can this paycheck cover rent?

Pick an island and a wage to see how much of your income rent would take.

$22.00
40 hrs

53%

of gross pay for a 1-bedroom

31%

for a room with roommates

To keep a Oʻahu one-bedroom at 30% of income, you would need about $38.77 an hour full time.

One-bedroom rent as a share of this paycheck

  • Oʻahu53%
  • Maui58%
  • Hawaiʻi Island41%
  • Kauaʻi51%
  • U.S. average35%

Anything past 30% counts as cost burdened. In Hawaiʻi, 39% of households are.

Honolulu rent is HUD's FY2026 fair market rent. Neighbor island and room rents are rounded teaching estimates.

Check your understanding

Your best score is saved in this browser.

  1. 1.Under the 30% rule, someone earning $60,000 a year should spend at most how much a month on housing?
  2. 2.What does ALICE describe?
  3. 3.Which is not a major reason for Hawaiʻi's high housing prices?

Answer every question to check.

For learning only. Kuleana Finance explains how money works. It does not tell anyone what to buy or sell.