Key takeaway: Kauaʻi’s North Shore is the most expensive place to buy on the island: the Hanalei district’s median single-family sale was $2.63 million in the first quarter of 2026. HUD’s one-bedroom benchmark is $2,420 in Princeville, $2,270 in Hanalei and $1,830 in Kīlauea. One highway connects it to the rest of the island, and Hurricane Lowell hit it hardest in September 2026. Numbers checked October 31, 2026.
Living on the North Shore costs more in almost every way: houses run two to three times Kapaʻa’s prices, long-term rentals are scarce, and errands mean a long drive on a road that floods. In ZIP 96722 (Princeville), about 64% of housing units are not anyone’s primary home, and in 96714 (Hanalei) about 39% (our calculation from ACS 2020–2024 housing-unit and household counts).
How much is rent on the North Shore?
| ZIP | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeville 96722 | $2,420 | $3,160 | $3,880 |
| Hanalei 96714 | $2,270 | $2,970 | $3,650 |
| Kīlauea 96754 | $1,830 | $2,400 | $2,950 |
HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026), as republished by FairMarketRentMap; HUD’s summary pages show only county figures for the neighbor islands. These are 40th-percentile rents including utilities, a voucher benchmark rather than an asking price. Princeville’s 1BR benchmark was $2,670 in FY2026.
We don’t publish a listing average for the North Shore because none is reliable: Zillow’s Princeville one-bedroom average of $9,120 in October 2026 is almost certainly furnished monthly vacation units, and Rentometer’s small sample runs well below the HUD benchmark. Long-term rentals here are often found by word of mouth.
What do homes cost on the North Shore?
The median single-family sale in the Hanalei tax district, which covers Princeville, Hanalei and Kīlauea, was $2,632,000 for January–March 2026 on 21 sales; the median condo was $957,500 on 12 sales (Kauaʻi Board of REALTORS via Fidelity National Title). Princeville condos sold for a median of about $1 million in July and August 2026 on 4 and 7 sales (Island Properties, Hawaiʻi Information Service data).
Kauaʻi’s owner-occupied tax rate is $2.59 per $1,000 after a $220,000 exemption, so a $2.63 million owner-occupied house pays about $6,200 a year; a home that is not owner-occupied pays a much higher non-owner rate. Princeville homes and condos also pay community association dues; ask the seller for the current amount. See property tax by county.
What do North Shore households earn?
Median household incomes are $102,109 in the Princeville census-designated place, $132,448 in ZIP 96714 (Hanalei) and $90,353 in 96754 (Kīlauea), all with wide margins of error because so few households are sampled (ACS 2020–2024).
How do people get around the North Shore?
Princeville workers average a 16-minute commute, Hanalei 21 and Kīlauea 23 (ACS 2020–2024), since many work locally in visitor jobs. Trips to Līhuʻe for shopping and medical care take much longer. The Kauaʻi Bus runs Hanalei–Līhuʻe routes, with no Sunday service (County of Kauaʻi).
What costs are specific to the North Shore?
- One road in. Kūhiō Highway is the only route. After the April 2018 floods, the highway past Hanalei did not fully reopen until June 2019 (Hawaii News Now), and roadwork on Hanalei Hill brought overnight closures in April 2026 (HDOT).
- Hurricane Lowell hit hardest here. The storm dropped about 16 inches of rain near Hāʻena, gusts reached about 74 mph, and North Shore highways were impassable from flooding and debris (Civil Beat, Sep 2026). Pole repairs near the Hanalei Bridge then caused delays of eight hours or more (Hawaii News Now, Sep 2026). Expect higher insurance quotes and longer waits for contractors.
- Hāʻena State Park. The park reopened October 15, 2026, after the storm. Hawaiʻi residents enter free with ID and have 30 reserved parking stalls (Hawaii News Now, Oct 2026).
- Vacation rentals. Princeville is a Visitor Destination Area where transient vacation rentals are allowed (Hawaiʻi Life, Nov 2024), which helps explain the high share of homes that are not primary residences.
How does the North Shore compare with other towns on Kauaʻi?
| Town | 1BR rent, HUD benchmark | Median single-family sale | Mean commute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Līhuʻe (96766) | $1,740 | $1.15 million (Līhuʻe district, 6 sales) | 17 min |
| Kapaʻa–Wailua (96746) | $1,720 | $940,000 (Kawaihau district, 21 sales) | 27 min |
| North Shore: Princeville (96722) | $2,420 | $2.63 million (Hanalei district, 21 sales) | 16 min |
Rent: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026), as republished by FairMarketRentMap; HUD’s summary pages show only county figures for the neighbor islands. These are 40th-percentile rents including utilities, a voucher benchmark rather than an asking price. Sales: Kauaʻi Board of REALTORS district medians for January–March 2026, via Fidelity National Title. Commute: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter (census-designated place).
More: Kauaʻi cost of living · hurricane coverage · rent vs. buy calculator.
Sources
- FairMarketRentMap: HUD FY2027 SAFMR, ZIP 96722
- FairMarketRentMap: ZIP 96714
- FairMarketRentMap: ZIP 96754
- Kauaʻi Board of REALTORS Q1 2026 statistics (Fidelity National Title)
- Island Properties: Kauaʻi market report, September 2026
- Census Reporter: Princeville CDP (ACS 2020–2024)
- Census Reporter: ZIP 96722
- Census Reporter: ZIP 96714
- Census Reporter: ZIP 96754
- County of Kauaʻi: bus schedules
- Hawaii News Now: Kūhiō Highway reopening (2019)
- HDOT: Hanalei Hill closures (Apr 2026)
- Civil Beat: Hurricane Lowell (Sep 2026)
- Hawaii News Now: Hanalei traffic delays (Sep 2026)
- Hawaii News Now: Hāʻena State Park reopens (Oct 2026)
- Hawaiʻi Life: TVRs on Kauaʻi (Nov 2024)