Hawaii Island Real Estate

Big Island
real estate

From resort homes on the Kohala Coast and Kona to Hilo town, Upcountry Waimea, and acre lots in Puna and Ka‘u, the Big Island has the widest price range in Hawaii. Here’s what things cost by district, and what to know about lava zones and rentals.

I’m buying →I’m selling

Or call or text 808-866-6593

Single-family median

$555K

2026 year to date (September: $499K)

Condo median

$625K

2026 year to date

September home sales

137

Down 20.8% from a year earlier

Puna’s share

41%

Of single-family sales, first quarter 2026

Title Guaranty, September 2026, and Fidelity National Title, first quarter 2026.

Big Island at a glance

The island-wide median looks low because so many sales are in Puna, where homes are much cheaper. In the first quarter of 2026, Puna made up 188 of 454 single-family sales. The Kona and Kohala side is a different market entirely, with medians over $1 million.

Prices by district

DistrictSingle-family medianCondo medianQ1 2026 home sales
North Kona (Kailua-Kona, Holualoa, Keauhou)$1,308,000$635,00082
South Kohala (Waikoloa, Mauna Lani)$1,112,750$1,412,50052
North Kohala (Hawi, Kapaau)$1,800,000—19
South Kona$843,500—12
North Hilo$942,400—5
Hamakua (Honokaa)$640,000—15
South Hilo (Hilo town)$600,000$350,00059
Ka‘u (Ocean View, Naalehu, Pahala)$382,500—22
Puna (Pahoa, Kea‘au, Volcano)$372,500—188
Source: Fidelity National Title & Escrow of Hawaii, Big Island stats, first quarter 2026. Districts with few sales can swing a lot.

Lava zones

The U.S. Geological Survey divides the island into nine lava-flow hazard zones. Zone 1, the most hazardous, covers the summits and rift zones of Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Zone 9, the least, is the Kohala area, which hasn’t erupted in tens of thousands of years. The zones show relative long-term risk, not short-term eruption odds, and the boundaries are about half a mile wide, so the map isn’t meant to rate individual parcels.

Lava zone matters most for insurance. In zones 1 and 2, mostly lower Puna and parts of Pahoa, there are few insurers. The state-backed Hawaii Property Insurance Association is the main option, and it won’t cover short-term vacation rentals. Get an insurance quote before you’re in contract.

Vacation rental rules

Hawaii County now requires every rental of less than 180 days to register each year: $250 for a hosted rental and $500 for an unhosted one, with fines of $1,000 to $10,000. Registration opened Sept. 1, 2026, and the county has kept the window open through Dec. 31, 2026. Under the county’s 2018 rules, unhosted vacation rentals are generally limited to resort, hotel and commercial zones, unless the rental already existed and holds a nonconforming use certificate.

A new bill to reorganize these rules, Bill 147, was still in committee as of the fall. Check its status, and the parcel’s zoning, before you count on rental income.

Property taxes

UseRate per $1,000
Homeowner$5.75
Long-term rental$7.75
Residential (second home, other)$11.10 up to $2M; $14.50 to $4M; $17.00 above
Hotel and resort$11.55
Rates for July 2026 to June 2027.

Hawaii County raised its basic home exemption to $50,000 in 2023, with larger exemptions for seniors. Confirm the current amounts with the county’s Real Property Tax Office.

Buying or selling on the Big Island?

Tell us the area and what you're looking for. We'll send you recent sales and anything to check, like lava zone, water, road maintenance or rental rules.

Latest from the Big Island

Sources

General information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice. Confirm lava zone, zoning, rental registration and tax classification for a specific property with Hawaii County before you buy.

.

© 2026 Hawaii Elite Real Estate. Brokered by Real Broker, LLC.
2176 Lauwiliwili St., # 1, Kapolei, HI, 96707, United States. All Rights Reserved.