Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Wailua, Hawaii
A $697,000 home here costs
$4,912per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,583. The real number is $1,328 higher every month — 37% 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.
Wailua against Kauai County and Hawaii
| Measure | Wailua | Kauai County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $697,300 | $817,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,429 | $1,840 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.205% | 0.225% |
| Median gross rent | $2,272 | $1,810 |
| Population | 2,544 | 73,610 |
The weather behind that power bill
Wailua 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 Wailua?
A $697,000 home in Wailua, Hawaii costs approximately $4,912 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,583 principal and interest, $119 property tax, $93 homeowners insurance, $535 utilities and $581 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Wailua?
Wailua has an effective property tax rate of 0.205%, based on a median home value of $697,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,429. That is lower than the Kauai County average of 0.225%.
What is the average home price in Wailua?
The median owner-occupied home value in Wailua, Hawaii is $697,300, against $817,900 across Kauai County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Wailua?
Median gross rent in Wailua is $2,272 a month, against $4,912 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 Wailua — 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.