Kauai County, Hawaii property tax
The median homeowner in Kauai County, Hawaii pays $1,840 a year in property tax on a home worth $817,900, an effective rate of 0.22%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.22%, Kauai County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. Rate and bill part company here. The percentage is below national, the house is worth $817,900, and the bill lands at $1,840 anyway.
Inside Hawaii it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #3 of 4, against a statewide 0.27%. At the other end of the same state, Maui County charges 0.17%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 8.74 times the median household income of $93,612, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 23.2% of median income in gross rent. With 73,610 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Kauai County | Hawaii | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.22% | 0.27% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,840 | $2,183 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $817,900 | $808,200 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,810 | $1,938 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $93,612 | $98,317 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 8.74× | 8.22× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 23.2% | 23.65% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 67.28% | 62.55% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 73,610.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maui County | 0.17% | $1,442 | $858,600 |
| Hawaii County | 0.29% | $1,392 | $486,400 |
| Honolulu County | 0.28% | $2,482 | $873,000 |
Kauai County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Kauai County, Hawaii?
The effective rate is 0.22% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,840 against a median home value of $817,900. That is 0.76 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Kauai County?
Roughly $880 a year at the county effective rate of 0.22%.
Is Kauai County expensive compared with the rest of Hawaii?
It ranks #3 of 4 Hawaii counties by effective property tax rate, and #2816 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.05 points below the Hawaii average of 0.27%.
What does housing cost in Kauai County?
The median home is worth $817,900 and median gross rent is $1,810 a month. Median household income is $93,612, which puts the home at 8.74 times annual income and rent at 23.2% of it.