How much house can I afford in Hawaii?

All-in cost first, always. Estimate only — not a loan quote or pre-approval.

Not your state? Find your calculator here.

Hawaii at a glance

Median home price
$747,660
Typical closing costs
2%–4% of price
Transfer tax
0.2% of sale price, customarily paid by seller
Closing custom
escrow
Homestead exemption
Hawaii has no single state-level homestead exemption — each of the 4 counties independently administers its own owner-occupant 'home exemption' against the county real property tax, with amounts tiered by age. Honolulu (Oʻahu): $120,000 (under 65) / $160,000 (65+). Maui County: up to $200,000 (60+). Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): tiered $50,000 (under 60) up to $110,000 (75+). Kauaʻi County: $240,000 (60-69) / $260,000 (70+). Most require a one-time application with the county real property assessment/tax office by a county-specific annual deadline (commonly Sept 30 or Dec 31 of the preceding assessment year); some require periodic income recertification. The exemption also determines eligibility for the lower 'owner-occupant' state conveyance tax rate tier at sale (see transferTax).

First-time buyer / down payment assistance programs

  • Hale Kamaʻāina Mortgage Program (HHFDC)

    Hawaiʻi Housing Finance & Development Corporation's statewide first-mortgage program for first-time homebuyers (successor to the former Hula Mae Single Family Mortgage Program), offering a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage roughly 0.5 percentage points below prevailing market rates, with optional down payment assistance up to 4% of the purchase price as a second mortgage (1% simple interest, no monthly payment, potentially forgivable after 10 years of compliance). Subject to HHFDC's county-by-county income and purchase-price limits, updated annually to IRS mortgage revenue bond guidelines.

  • HHOC Mortgage Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL)

    Second-mortgage down payment/mortgage-insurance-avoidance loan of up to $125,000 offered by HHOC Mortgage, the mortgage-lending affiliate of the Hawaiʻi HomeOwnership Center (a HUD-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing counseling agency serving the state). Interest is fixed at 4.5% or the first mortgage's rate, whichever is lower, amortized over 30 years, with no mortgage insurance and no prepayment penalty; requires at least a 3% down payment on the first mortgage, which must also be originated through HHOC Mortgage.

Continue calculating

Mortgage payment calculator

Estimated all-in monthly payment for a home price you have in mind.

First-time buyer programs

Check which down payment assistance programs you likely qualify for.

Take-home pay calculator

What actually reaches your account after federal tax, FICA, and your state's own brackets — with local income tax disclosed rather than guessed at.

Related reading

Closing Costs in Hawaii: What You'll Actually Pay

9 min read

Hawaii's 2-4% buyer closing-cost range sounds mild until you apply it to a $747,660 median price: $14,953 to $29,906, before you touch the down payment.

What Is PMI, and How Do You Get Rid of It?

15 min read

Private mortgage insurance explained in plain English — what it costs, why it exists, the exact federal rules for cancelling it, and how to work out the month your PMI is scheduled to end.

Guides & templates

Buying a Home With Someone Else

$4.99

The operational guide to buying property with a partner, friend, sibling, or parent — credit and DTI mechanics, title vesting, a clause-by-clause co-ownership agreement, and how the exit actually works.

The First-Time Buyer's Playbook: 12 Months to Closing Day

$4.99

A month-by-month plan for the year before you buy: what to do in each phase, what never to touch, how to document every dollar, and how to survive closing day.