Buying a Home in Hawaiʻi 2026: Prices and Closing Costs

Key takeaway: In September 2026 the median single-family home sold for about $499,000 on Hawaiʻi Island, $1.11 million on Oʻahu, $1.15 million on Maui and $1.49 million on Kauaʻi. Over 60% of Oʻahu condos sold in 2026 came with maintenance fees of $800 a month or more (Hawaiʻi Public Radio). Numbers checked October 30, 2026.

Median prices, September 2026

Island	Single-family	Condo	Sales that month
Hawaiʻi Island	$499,000	$604,500	137 homes / 32 condos
Oʻahu	$1,110,000	$523,000	293 / 375
Maui County	$1,150,000	$660,000	52 / 72
Kauaʻi	$1,490,000	$726,500	18 / 6

Sources: Honolulu Board of Realtors via Star-Advertiser; Realtors Association of Maui via Maui Now; Title Guaranty statewide statistics.

With so few sales on Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island, one month’s median can swing a lot. On Hawaiʻi Island, condos cost more than houses because resort condos in Kona and Kohala dominate condo sales. Oʻahu’s single-family median hit a record $1,242,500 in June 2026 (Star-Advertiser).

Conveyance tax

Hawaiʻi’s conveyance tax, usually paid by the seller, applies to the whole price at a single rate set by price band. For an owner-occupant buyer it’s 10 cents per $100 under $600,000, 20 cents to $1 million and 30 cents to $2 million, rising to $1 above $10 million; rates are higher when the buyer won’t live there (HRS §247-2). A 2026 proposal to switch to marginal brackets did not pass (Hawaiʻi Public Radio).

Closing costs

Expect roughly 1% to 4% of the price. By local custom, buyer and seller split escrow fees evenly, and the seller pays 60% of standard title insurance (Hawaiʻi Life).

Condo maintenance fees

Hawaiʻi’s median condo or HOA fee was $470 a month in 2024, third highest in the country (Civil Beat). On Oʻahu, fees have risen fast with insurance costs: units under 500 square feet averaged $715 a month in April 2026, up 48% since 2019, and larger units commonly run $1,500 or more (Hawaiʻi Public Radio). See homeowners insurance.