County FMR · HUD FY2026

Kalawao County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Kalawao County, HI - 98% above the US average.

$1,899
1-bedroom FMR
$2,492
2-bedroom FMR
+38.6%
YoY change
+98%
vs US avg

The verdict

Kalawao is the 3rd cheapest of 5 counties in Hawaii by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #31 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 38.6% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#31
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#3
cheapest of 5 in Hawaii (2BR)
+2%
vs the state average
$75,960
income to afford it (30% rule)

Registered Nurses spend the smallest share of income on rent here (16.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (73.8%); only 5 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Kalawao County, HI. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Kalawao County, Hawaii is $1,899 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $2,492/mo and a studio is $1,801/mo. This is 98% higher than the national average of $959 and 2% above the Hawaii average of $1,859.

Rent increased38.6% from FY 2025 ($1,370), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $75,960/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

Observed renter burden: 22.7% of the 22 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Hawaii. Population: 50.

FMR filing desk

Area KALAWAO·COUNTY·HI·HI

Kalawao County, HI: $1,899/mo 1BR · #31 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA HI
  • 1BR-FMR $1,899
  • 2BR-FMR $2,492
  • RANK-UPPER #31
  • YOY-SURGE +38.6%
  • VSUS-HIGH +98%
  • VS-ST-NEAR +2% HI
  • INC-MID 26%
  • POP-SMALL 50
  • PHOTO-NEAR Honolulu County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,709–$2,089
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Honolulu ($117 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,786 · US avg: $893
$1,801/mo
↑ 34.5% YoY +1% vs state +102% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,859 · US avg: $959
$1,899/mo
↑ 38.6% YoY +2% vs state +98% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $2,433 · US avg: $1,175
$2,492/mo
↑ 38.7% YoY +2% vs state +112% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $3,157 · US avg: $1,525
$3,227/mo
↑ 38.8% YoY +2% vs state +112% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $3,779 · US avg: $1,756
$4,024/mo
↑ 52.3% YoY +6% vs state +129% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,339
$1,801
+$462 (+34.5%)
1 Bedroom $1,370
$1,899
+$529 (+38.6%)
2 Bedroom $1,797
$2,492
+$695 (+38.7%)
3 Bedroom $2,325
$3,227
+$902 (+38.8%)
4 Bedroom $2,643
$4,024
+$1381 (+52.3%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Kalawao County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
25.1%
Affordable
Need $72,040/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
26.4%
Affordable
Need $75,960/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
34.7%
Burdened
Need $99,680/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
44.9%
Burdened
Need $129,080/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
56%
Severe
Need $160,960/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%34.7%
Kalawao County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $86,250 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Hawaii rent burden →

Where Kalawao sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$2,492 Top 1% higher than 99% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). This entry sits in this band. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Kalawao compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Hawaii counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Kalawao is highlighted. Nearby Hawaii counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Honolulu County ($2,016), Maui County ($2,000), Kalawao County (this county) ($1,899), Kauai County ($1,777), Hawaii County ($1,603).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,899/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Hawaii BLS wages?

Occupation HI Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Registered Nurses $136,320 16.7% Affordable
Software Developers $119,880 19% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $105,160 21.7% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $89,390 25.5% Affordable
Electricians $83,200 27.4% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $67,820 33.6% Stretched
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $60,890 37.4% Stretched
Elementary School Teachers $60,420 37.7% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,320 38.4% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $45,380 50.2% Unaffordable
Customer Service Representatives $40,630 56.1% Unaffordable
Janitors & Cleaners $37,120 61.4% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $36,050 63.2% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $35,420 64.3% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $30,860 73.8% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Hawaii) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Kalawao County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Kalawao (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 36.2% overall, from $1,394 to $1,899. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 38.6% (FY 2026), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$1,200$1,400$1,600$1,800$2,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,899
Kalawao County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑38.6% $1,801 $1,899 $2,492
FY 2025 ↑5.7% $1,339 $1,370 $1,797
FY 2024 ↓0.6% $1,208 $1,296 $1,703
FY 2023 ↑0.1% $1,148 $1,304 $1,717
FY 2022 ↓7.5% $1,189 $1,303 $1,714
FY 2021 ↑1.0% $1,321 $1,408 $1,772
FY 2020 $1,275 $1,394 $1,759
Total change (6yr): +36.2%
Annualized: +5.3%/yr
1 BR: $1,394 → $1,899

Part of the Kahului-Wailuku, HI Metro Area

Kalawao County is a outlying county of the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other metro-area county.

Kalawao County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Maui County ($2,000), Kalawao County (this county) ($1,899).

Maui County
1 BR: $2,000/mo
Kalawao County (this county)
1 BR: $1,899/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Kalawao County, both outside Hawaii so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside HI (FY2026).

Middlesex County
NJ · 2 BR $2,486/mo
Somerset County
NJ · 2 BR $2,486/mo
Hunterdon County
NJ · 2 BR $2,486/mo
King County
WA · 2 BR $2,501/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside HI).

Lowndes County
AL · 34.7% of income · 2 BR $1,016/mo
Hancock County
TN · 34.7% of income · 2 BR $925/mo
Heard County
GA · 34.7% of income · 2 BR $1,820/mo
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region
CT · 34.6% of income · 2 BR $2,511/mo

Nearby Counties in Hawaii

Largest counties by population in Hawaii

Honolulu County
1 BR: $2,016/mo Pop: 1,010,100
Hawaii County
1 BR: $1,603/mo Pop: 202,163
Maui County
1 BR: $2,000/mo Pop: 164,765
Kauai County
1 BR: $1,777/mo Pop: 73,511
View all counties in Hawaii →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Kalawao County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Kalawao County is $1,899 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,492 and a studio is $1,801.
How does Kalawao County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Kalawao County is 98% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,899 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Kalawao County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Kalawao County's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,492 ranks #31 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Kalawao County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $75,960 ($6,330/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Kalawao County.
Is rent going up or down in Kalawao County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Kalawao County increased by 38.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,370 to $1,899.
Which jobs can afford rent in Kalawao County? ▼
Based on Hawaii BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Registered Nurses, Software Developers, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,899/mo. 5 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Kalawao County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Kalawao County went from $1,394 in FY 2020 to $1,899 in FY 2026, a total change of +36.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Kalawao County? ▼
In Kalawao County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,899/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Kalawao County? ▼
For Kalawao County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,899/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.