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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Kauai County, Hawaii

Kauai County has an effective property tax rate of 0.21%. On the median home value of $873,200, that's roughly $1,866 per year. Median household income is $97,668.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.21%
median tax $1,866 ÷ median home $873,200
Median Home Value1
$873,200
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$97,668
per-capita $43,836
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$1,866
at 0.21% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricKauai CountyHawaii (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.21%0.25%
Median home value1$873,200—
State income tax3top rate 11.00%top rate 11.00%
State sales tax34.50% combined4.50% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Kauai County, HI

Kauai County’s effective property tax rate of 0.214% sits below Hawaii’s statewide median of 0.247%, placing it third among the state’s four counties. That gap matters less than the national picture: the U.S. median rate is 0.794%, nearly four times Kauai’s figure. A median home value of $873,200 yields an annual tax bill of just $1,866 — an unusually light load given the price of local housing. With median household income at $97,668 and per-capita income of $43,836, the tax itself absorbs a tiny share of earnings. Communities such as Anahola, Eleele, and Hanalei reflect this pattern across the island. What this signals is a county where property taxes are unlikely to be the deciding factor in affordability; the steep cost of buying a home is the real constraint.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Kauai County, HI?
The effective rate is 0.21% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.21% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($873,200), the estimated annual bill is about $1,866.
Is Kauai County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.25% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Kauai County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Kauai County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.