Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Kapaa, Hawaii
A $822,000 home here costs
$5,688per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,226. The real number is $1,462 higher every month — 35% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Kapaa against Kauai County and Hawaii
| Measure | Kapaa | Kauai County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $821,500 | $817,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,588 | $1,840 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.193% | 0.225% |
| Median gross rent | $1,997 | $1,810 |
| Population | 10,886 | 73,610 |
The weather behind that power bill
Kapaa sits in Kauai County, which averages a high of 87.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 64.4°F in its coldest, with 17.84" of precipitation a year and 45% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 4,056 cooling and 0 heating degree days, which is what sets the $467 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Kauai County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Kauai County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Kapaa?
A $822,000 home in Kapaa, Hawaii costs approximately $5,688 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,226 principal and interest, $132 property tax, $110 homeowners insurance, $535 utilities and $685 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Kapaa?
Kapaa has an effective property tax rate of 0.193%, based on a median home value of $821,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,588. That is lower than the Kauai County average of 0.225%.
What is the average home price in Kapaa?
The median owner-occupied home value in Kapaa, Hawaii is $821,500, against $817,900 across Kauai County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Kapaa?
Median gross rent in Kapaa is $1,997 a month, against $5,688 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Kapaa — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Hawaii.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.