Hawaii
Ranked #51 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$846K
8.88x income
Median Rent
🔑$1,940
42.0% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$95K
Population: 1,440,196
Homeownership
🏡62.0%
6,223 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉50,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨3,879
Price-to-Income
📊8.88x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️23.5%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($2545) is above the state median rent ($1940) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in Hawaii
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | 12 | $880K | $2,200 | $85K | 42.0% |
| Urban Honolulu | 33 | $899K | $2,033 | $103K | 27.0% |
| Kahului-Wailuku | 8 | $935K | $1,828 | $84K | 25.5% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
62.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
24.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
493,898
Owner-Occupied
308,421
Renter-Occupied
185,477
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
11,637
1-Year Change
+87.0%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
+52.7%
7,620 → 11,637
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
3,879
0.3% of national total
Single-Family
2,444
63% of state permits
Multi-Family
1,435
37% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
50,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
0.7% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
Hawaii burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
42.0%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
23.5%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
48,639
Households >35% Burden
15,040