How is property tax calculated in Hawaii?

Each Hawaii county sets a rate per $1,000 of net taxable value. The tool takes your assessed value, subtracts the owner-occupant home exemption, then multiplies the remaining net taxable value by the county rate and divides by 1,000 to get the annual tax.

Why is Hawaii property tax so low?

Hawaii has the lowest effective property tax rate in the United States, often around 0.28% for owner-occupants on Oahu after the home exemption. Counties keep residential rates low and offset their budgets with the state's broad General Excise Tax and tourism revenue.

What is the Hawaii home exemption?

It is a fixed reduction in your assessed value if the property is your primary residence. The standard owner-occupant exemption is about $100,000 on Oahu, $200,000 on Maui, $160,000 on Kauai, and $40,000 on the Big Island, with larger amounts for seniors.

Does the state of Hawaii set property tax rates?

No. Unlike income and excise taxes, property tax in Hawaii is administered entirely by the four counties — Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai. Each county sets its own rates, value tiers, and exemptions, so your bill depends on which island you live on.

How accurate is this estimate?

It is a close approximation using representative owner-occupied rates. Hawaii counties use tiered rates that change with value and use class, and offer extra senior, disability, and dedication exemptions, so verify your exact figure with your county Real Property Tax office.

Hawaii Property Tax Estimator

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A free Hawaii property tax estimator that calculates your annual bill using the per-$1,000 rate set by your county and the owner-occupant home exemption. Hawaii is unusual: property tax is run by the four counties, not the state, and the effective rates are the lowest in the nation. This tool applies the right rate and exemption for each island.

How it works

Hawaii counties tax the assessed value of your home (which they set close to market value) after subtracting a fixed home exemption for owner-occupants. The rate is expressed per $1,000 of net taxable value:

net taxable value = max(0, assessed value - home exemption)
annual tax        = net taxable value x rate / 1000

Representative owner-occupied figures by county (editable, since tiers change yearly):

Honolulu / Oahu: $3.50 per $1,000, $100,000 home exemption
Maui: $2.00 per $1,000, $200,000 home exemption
Hawaii / Big Island: $6.15 per $1,000, $40,000 home exemption
Kauai: $2.59 per $1,000, $160,000 home exemption

Tips and example

An owner-occupied Oahu home assessed at $800,000:

net taxable = $800,000 - $100,000 = $700,000
annual tax  = $700,000 x $3.50 / 1,000 = $2,450

That is an effective rate of about 0.31% of assessed value — remarkably low for a high-value home. The home exemption matters most for lower-value properties, where it can wipe out a large share of the taxable base. If you are 65 or older, your county likely offers a larger exemption, so adjust the exemption field accordingly. Every figure recalculates in your browser and nothing is uploaded.