Cost of living in Kapaau, Hawaii

Kapaau, Hawaii has about 2,224 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $660,900.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Hawaii County is $2,081 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Kapaau. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

Hawaii's prices sit at 110.0 when the U.S. average is 100. This place is not in a metro area with its own index, so this is the state number from BEA for 2024.

Hawaii taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 4.5% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Kapaau's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Hawaii home paid 48.00¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Kapaau's bill.

EIA does not publish a Hawaii gasoline price. The West Coast (PADD 5) Except California all-grades price was $5.167 a gallon on September 15, 2026. The weekly file does not include that series, so this is the monthly price. At 12,000 miles a year and 25 mpg, the index counts that as $2,480.16 a year. Those miles are our standard, not a Census figure, and every town in Hawaii shares this price.

Among 118 places we list in Hawaii with a rent figure, 64 have higher typical rent than Kapaau.