Key takeaway: Across the 23 Hawaiʻi ZIP codes we track, HUD’s 2026–27 one-bedroom rent benchmark runs from $1,450 in Keaʻau–HPP (Puna) to $2,810 in Kailua. Enter a rent budget or household income below to see which areas fit, how long the average commute is, and whether you can live without a car. Data checked October 31, 2026; sources below.
The island finder shows which Hawaiʻi towns and neighborhoods fit your rent budget, using HUD’s ZIP-level rent benchmarks, average commute times and median home prices for each area. It covers Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi; for Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, see Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi cost of living.
How does the island finder work?
- Budget. Enter the most you can pay in rent, or your household income; with income, the finder uses the common 30% rule: maximum rent = income × 0.30 ÷ 12. An $80,000 income gives a $2,000 monthly limit.
- Rent. An area fits when HUD’s Small Area Fair Market Rent for the chosen size is at or below your limit. That benchmark includes utilities and sits at the 40th percentile of recent rents, so some units will cost less and many listings more.
- Commute. An area fits when its average one-way commute, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, is at or below the limit you set.
- Car-free. “I want to live without one” keeps only areas with frequent bus service (urban Honolulu), Skyline rail (Kapolei and ʻEwa) or Hilo’s free bus. Everywhere else, most households need a car.
What rent, commute and home price does each area have?
| Area | Island | ZIP | 1BR rent, HUD | 2BR rent, HUD | Median single-family sale | Average commute | Getting around |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keaʻau–HPP (Puna) | Hawaiʻi Island | 96749 | $1,450 | $1,870 | $392,000 (Puna) | 32.8 min | Car needed |
| Pāhoa (Puna) | Hawaiʻi Island | 96778 | $1,480 | $1,910 | $392,000 (Puna) | 34.7 min | Car needed |
| Hilo | Hawaiʻi Island | 96720 | $1,500 | $1,930 | $502,000 | 20.3 min | Free bus, limited routes |
| Downtown–Punchbowl | Oʻahu | 96813 | $1,690 | $2,200 | — | 19.8 min | Car optional (frequent bus) |
| Kapaʻa–Wailua | Kauaʻi | 96746 | $1,720 | $2,260 | $940,000 | 26.7 min | Car needed |
| Līhuʻe | Kauaʻi | 96766 | $1,740 | $2,270 | $1,150,000 | 16.9 min | Car needed |
| Kahului | Maui | 96732 | $1,800 | $2,370 | $1,100,000 | 22.8 min | Car needed |
| Kīlauea | Kauaʻi | 96754 | $1,830 | $2,400 | $2,632,000 (North Shore) | 22.9 min | Car needed |
| Mōʻiliʻili–McCully | Oʻahu | 96826 | $1,860 | $2,420 | — | 21.5 min | Car optional (frequent bus) |
| Wailuku | Maui | 96793 | $1,890 | $2,470 | $1,100,000 | 19.1 min | Car needed |
| Kailua-Kona | Hawaiʻi Island | 96740 | $1,890 | $2,440 | $1,400,000 | 20.3 min | Car needed |
| Mānoa–Makiki | Oʻahu | 96822 | $1,930 | $2,520 | — | 21.2 min | Car optional (frequent bus) |
| Kaimukī–Kapahulu | Oʻahu | 96816 | $1,940 | $2,530 | $1,395,000 | 22.9 min | Car optional (frequent bus) |
| Kāneʻohe | Oʻahu | 96744 | $2,150 | $2,800 | $1,272,500 | 28.5 min | Car needed |
| Mililani | Oʻahu | 96789 | $2,160 | $2,810 | $1,100,000 | 29.6 min | Car needed |
| Ala Moana–Kakaʻako | Oʻahu | 96814 | $2,230 | $2,900 | — | 18.4 min | Car optional (frequent bus) |
| West Maui (Lahaina–Kapalua) | Maui | 96761 | $2,280 | $2,980 | $2,000,000 (Lahaina, 9 sales) | 20.3 min | Car needed |
| Kīhei | Maui | 96753 | $2,390 | $3,120 | $1,300,000 | 22.2 min | Car needed |
| Kapolei–Makakilo | Oʻahu | 96707 | $2,400 | $3,130 | $980,000 (Makakilo) | 32.6 min | Rail and bus |
| Princeville | Kauaʻi | 96722 | $2,420 | $3,160 | $2,632,000 (North Shore) | 16.1 min | Car needed |
| Waikīkī | Oʻahu | 96815 | $2,450 | $3,190 | — | 21.7 min | Car optional (frequent bus) |
| ʻEwa Beach–Hoʻopili | Oʻahu | 96706 | $2,460 | $3,210 | $950,000 | 35.3 min | Rail and bus |
| Kailua | Oʻahu | 96734 | $2,810 | $3,660 | $1,685,000 | 25.7 min | Car needed |
Rent: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026): Oʻahu ZIPs checked on HUD’s site; neighbor-island ZIPs as republished by FairMarketRentMap, because HUD’s summary pages show only county figures there. These are 40th-percentile rents including utilities, a voucher benchmark rather than an asking price. Sales: latest district medians we could verify (Honolulu Board of REALTORS, January–June 2026; REALTORS Association of Maui, January–April 2026; Title Guaranty, September 2026 for Hawaiʻi Island; Kauaʻi Board of REALTORS, January–March 2026). — means too few house sales to report. Commute: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter. Each area’s town page lists its sources.
Which areas are cheapest to rent in?
By HUD’s one-bedroom benchmark, the five lowest-rent areas are Keaʻau–HPP (Puna) ($1,450), Pāhoa (Puna) ($1,480), Hilo ($1,500), Downtown–Punchbowl ($1,690) and Kapaʻa–Wailua ($1,720). The three Puna and Hilo ZIPs on Hawaiʻi Island are the only ones under $1,600; downtown Honolulu (96813) is the lowest on Oʻahu, and Kahului (96732) the lowest on Maui, at $1,800.
Where can you live without a car?
Only urban Honolulu has bus service frequent enough for most households to go car-free. Kapolei and ʻEwa have Skyline rail, which since October 2025 runs to Kalihi but not yet downtown. Hilo’s Hele-On buses are free through 2028 but infrequent. See transportation costs.
Next steps: salary calculator · rent vs. buy calculator · compare the islands.
Sources
- HUD: FY2027 Small Area FMRs, Urban Honolulu (Oʻahu ZIPs)
- FairMarketRentMap (HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs, neighbor-island ZIPs)
- Census Reporter (American Community Survey 2020–2024)
- Honolulu Board of REALTORS: Local Market Update, June 2026
- Fidelity National Title: Maui statistics, YTD April 2026
- Title Guaranty Hawaiʻi: Hawaiʻi Island sales, September 2026
- Kauaʻi Board of REALTORS Q1 2026 (Fidelity National Title)