Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Poipu, Hawaii
A $1,115,000 home here costs
$7,608per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $5,732. The real number is $1,875 higher every month — 33% 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.
Poipu against Kauai County and Hawaii
| Measure | Poipu | Kauai County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,115,300 | $817,900 |
| Median property tax | $3,141 | $1,840 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.282% | 0.225% |
| Median gross rent | $2,554 | $1,810 |
| Population | 1,418 | 73,610 |
The weather behind that power bill
Poipu 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 Poipu?
A $1,115,000 home in Poipu, Hawaii costs approximately $7,608 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $5,732 principal and interest, $262 property tax, $149 homeowners insurance, $535 utilities and $929 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Poipu?
Poipu has an effective property tax rate of 0.282%, based on a median home value of $1,115,300 and median real estate taxes of $3,141. That is higher than the Kauai County average of 0.225%.
What is the average home price in Poipu?
The median owner-occupied home value in Poipu, Hawaii is $1,115,300, against $817,900 across Kauai County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Poipu?
Median gross rent in Poipu is $2,554 a month, against $7,608 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 Poipu — 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.