Metro FMR · CBSA 27980 · HUD FY2026

Kalawao County, HI HUD Metro FMR Area Fair Market Rent

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

$1,899
1-bedroom FMR
$2,492
2-bedroom FMR
+7.8%
YoY change
+98%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Kalawao County, HI HUD Metro FMR Area area rents at $2,492 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 112% above the US average, higher than 96% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#15
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+112%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$99,680
income to afford it (30% rule)
+7.8%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Kalawao County: #15 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $95,049, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 24.0% of annual income. It remains below the 30% affordability guide, but is a material part of a median-income household's budget.

The 2-bedroom figure places Kalawao County in the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 164,815 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

That budget pressure matches a top-decile 2-bedroom FMR nationally (#15 of 387 HUD-tracked metros).

A two-bedroom FMR sits at the edge of the 30% guide for a median-income household, taking 31.5% of recorded median income before utilities outside FMR and other household costs.

Observed renter burden: 48.7% of the 19,445 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from the FY2026 HUD FMR benchmark.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,801/mo

22.7% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,899/mo

24.0% of median income

2 Bedroom

$2,492/mo

31.5% of median income

3 Bedroom

$3,227/mo

40.7% of median income

4 Bedroom

$4,024/mo

50.8% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·27980

Kalawao County: $1,899/mo 1BR · #15 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 27980

  • CBSA 27980
  • 1BR-FMR $1,899
  • 2BR-FMR $2,492
  • RANK-UPPER #15
  • YOY-SURGE +7.8%
  • VSUS-HIGH +98%
  • IN-ST-LOW #1 HI
  • INC-MID 24%
  • POP-MID 165K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Urban Honolulu
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,709–$2,089
  • FY-2026 FY2026

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

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Kalawao County sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$2,492 Top 4% higher than 96% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). This entry sits in this band. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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

CBSA 27980

Counties inside Kalawao County

Across 2 HUD counties in CBSA 27980, 2-bedroom FMRs cluster tightly ($2,492–$2,624, 5% spread), so the metro-wide schedule tracks most constituent counties closely.

Maui County 2BR $2,624 · 165K Kalawao County 2BR $2,492 · 0K

Kalawao County studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #15 nationally

1BR $1,899 (+98% vs US, +7.8% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 27980.

Studio
$1,801
US avg $893
↑2.9% YoY +102% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,899
US avg $959
↑7.8% YoY +98% vs US
2 Bedroom
$2,492
US avg $1,175
↑7.9% YoY +112% vs US
3 Bedroom
$3,227
US avg $1,525
↑4.0% YoY +112% vs US
4 Bedroom
$4,024
US avg $1,756
↑12.3% YoY +129% vs US

How Kalawao County compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs metros with similar rent levels

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Kalawao County highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Kalawao County: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Kalawao County with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside HI (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside HI

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Seattle-Bellevue
WA · 2 BR $2,501/mo
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury
CT · 2 BR $2,511/mo
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
CA · 2 BR $2,512/mo
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale
CA · 2 BR $2,601/mo

Burden % · outside HI

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy
MA · 31.4% of income · 2 BR $2,941/mo
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford
FL · 31.3% of income · 2 BR $1,972/mo
Vineland
NJ · 31.1% of income · 2 BR $1,673/mo
Palm Coast
FL · 32.1% of income · 2 BR $1,806/mo

Kalawao County: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Kalawao County, HI HUD Metro FMR Area metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Kalawao County, HI HUD Metro FMR Area is $1,899 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,492 and a studio is $1,801.
How does Kalawao County, HI HUD Metro FMR Area rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Kalawao County, HI HUD Metro FMR Area metro area is 98% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,899 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Kalawao County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $2,492 ranks #15 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas).
Do county rents differ inside the Kalawao County metro area? ▼
Yes. HUD assigns one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 27980, but 2 constituent counties publish their own county FMR schedules spanning $2,492–$2,624 for a 2-bedroom (5% spread). Use county pages for filing at the county level.

Compare Kalawao County vs Urban Honolulu →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,899/mo · 1BR HI

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.