Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lihue, Hawaii
A $844,000 home here costs
$5,851per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,339. The real number is $1,512 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.
Lihue against Kauai County and Hawaii
| Measure | Lihue | Kauai County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $843,900 | $817,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,935 | $1,840 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.229% | 0.225% |
| Median gross rent | $1,989 | $1,810 |
| Population | 7,847 | 73,610 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lihue 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 Lihue?
A $844,000 home in Lihue, Hawaii costs approximately $5,851 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,339 principal and interest, $161 property tax, $113 homeowners insurance, $535 utilities and $703 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lihue?
Lihue has an effective property tax rate of 0.229%, based on a median home value of $843,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,935. That is in line with the Kauai County average of 0.225%.
What is the average home price in Lihue?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lihue, Hawaii is $843,900, against $817,900 across Kauai County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lihue?
Median gross rent in Lihue is $1,989 a month, against $5,851 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 Lihue — 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.