Kailua Kona, Hawaii Short-Term Rental Market
Kailua-Kona STRs averaged $379/night at 58.7% occupancy in April 2026, led by houses at $7,226/month.
Quick Answer: Kailua Kona, Hawaii is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 59%. average monthly revenue is $6,281. average daily rate is $414. the top operator is Kona Coast Vacations with 291 listings. market score is 91/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Big Island regional market, which includes Kailua Kona. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Kailua Kona.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Kailua-Kona is the primary resort hub on Hawaii’s Big Island, serving as the arrival point for approximately 1.73 million island-wide visitors in 2024, per the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The community’s permanent population is approximately 19,713, but the STR market is substantial: the active listing pool totals approximately 9,528 properties, making it one of the largest STR markets in the Hawaiian Islands.
As of April 2026, STRs averaged $379/night ADR at 58.7% occupancy, producing RevPAR of $223 and average monthly revenue of $5,818. Year-over-year, ADR gained 5.9% and revenue rose 1.8%, while occupancy declined 3.0% from April 2025. The market scores 91.1 out of 100 on the composite market score, with seasonality at 88.7, rental demand at 87.1, and regulation at 72.4.
Entire-place rentals dominate at 8,868 listings (93.1% of the market), with 670 private rooms and 6 shared rooms. One-bedroom properties lead the bedroom mix at 3,759 listings, followed by two-bedroom (3,156), three-bedroom (1,745), four-bedroom (547), and five-bedroom (321). The channel distribution shows 5,115 properties on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,565 exclusively on Airbnb, and 864 exclusively on VRBO.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71% | $308 | $5,544 |
| Feb | 78% | $309 | $5,603 |
| Mar | 69% | $308 | $5,489 |
| Apr | 62% | $297 | $4,762 |
| May | 61% | $276 | $4,431 |
| Jun | 65% | $331 | $5,419 |
| Jul | 63% | $304 | $5,178 |
| Aug | 61% | $307 | $5,234 |
| Sep | 55% | $239 | $3,601 |
| Oct | 60% | $265 | $4,106 |
| Nov | 62% | $289 | $4,572 |
| Dec | 70% | $341 | $5,894 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Kailua Kona
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kona Coast Vacations | 291 | 12,122 | ★ 4.81 |
| 2 | Knutson & Associates | 267 | 13,159 | ★ 4.73 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 207 | 8,928 | ★ 4.56 |
| 4 | Gather Vacations | 184 | 7,896 | ★ 4.84 |
| 5 | Evolve | 159 | 8,302 | ★ 4.52 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Kailua Kona?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,759 |
| 2 bed | 3,156 |
| 3 bed | 1,745 |
| 4 bed | 547 |
| 5 bed | 321 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $429 |
| Luxury | $999 |
| Professionally Managed | $561 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $4,773 |
| Entire Place | $6,543 |
| House | $8,354 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 37.4% |
| vrbo | 9.1% |
| both | 53.6% |
Investment Analysis
Kailua-Kona’s STR investment fundamentals are among the strongest in the Hawaiian market. April 2026 average monthly revenue of $5,818 implies annualized gross revenue of approximately $69,816. Against a typical home value of $886,351, the implied gross yield is approximately 7.9%, before management fees, taxes, and maintenance.
ADR tiering illustrates dramatic upside at higher quality levels. The all-listing average was $379, entire-home listings averaged $395, professionally managed properties commanded $558, and luxury-tier properties averaged $959. The luxury premium over the market average is $580 per night, a spread of 153%, indicating that premier properties here generate fundamentally different revenue outcomes than typical inventory.
Houses outperformed the market significantly in April 2026, averaging $7,226 per month versus $6,059 for entire-place listings and $4,807 for apartments, a 50% premium for houses over apartments. The typical home value of $886,351, median sale price of $836,667, and median list price of $935,317 define the acquisition landscape. The sale-to-list ratio of 0.895 indicates buyers typically pay approximately 10.5% below list price. Median days to pending is 44, suggesting moderate transaction pace.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Kailua-Kona guests book an average of 76 days in advance, the longest lead time among the five markets in this batch and one of the longer planning horizons in domestic STR markets. This 10-plus-week window reflects the nature of Big Island travel: most visitors are traveling from the US mainland or internationally, coordinating flights to Kona International Airport, and planning multi-day itineraries around water activities, events, and experiences.
For operators, this lead time means that pricing should be set and actively managed at least 90 days out, well beyond the typical 30 to 45 day window used in shorter-lead markets. Average length of stay is 4.5 nights, consistent with a destination stay of four to five nights. Minimum-stay requirements of four to five nights align with guest expectations while reducing per-stay cleaning and coordination overhead. For Ironman and Kona Coffee Cultural Festival periods, early booking windows likely extend further, warranting advance rate locks on peak event dates.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term vacation rentals (STVRs) in Kailua-Kona are governed by County of Hawaii law. STRs are legal but geographically constrained: new STVRs are permitted only in Resort, hotel, commercial, and certain multi-family zones. Most single-family residential and agricultural zones do not permit new STR operations. Properties that operated legally before April 1, 2019 in restricted zones may continue under a Nonconforming Use Certificate, renewed annually.
County Ordinance 25-50 (Bill 47, signed June 23, 2025) overhauled STVR rules, mandating annual registration for all operators. The effective date was extended to July 1, 2026 to allow the county time to build its registration system. As of mid-2026, registration is not yet enforced but operators should prepare. Registration fees are approximately $500 for unhosted (owner-absent) rentals and $250 for hosted rentals, with $250 and $100 renewal fees respectively. Hosting platforms pay $1,000 and must file monthly listing reports.
The state Transient Accommodations Tax rose to 11% effective January 1, 2026. The combined transient tax rate including the Hawaii General Excise Tax is approximately 14%. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies. Enforcement is classified as moderate. No maximum nights per year limit was published.
Market Comparison
Kailua-Kona’s April 2026 occupancy of 58.7% sits above the US STR median of approximately 55%, while its ADR of $379 is 72% above the national median of approximately $220. The composite market score of 91.1 out of 100 is exceptionally high, reflecting strong rental demand (87.1), favorable seasonality (88.7), and solid regulatory conditions (72.4).
The professional management landscape is well-developed. Kona Coast Vacations leads with 291 listings and 12,122 reviews at a 4.81 average rating. Knutson and Associates manages 267 listings with 13,159 reviews at a 4.73 rating, the highest review volume among the top operators. Vacasa holds 207 listings at 4.56, Gather Vacations manages 184 listings with 7,896 reviews at 4.84, and Evolve operates 159 listings at 4.52. The top five operators collectively manage 1,108 listings, representing approximately 11.6% of the 9,528 active listings, indicating a mix of professional management and independent operation.
Kailua-Kona’s luxury ADR of $959 stands out significantly versus mainland coastal markets, reflecting Hawaii’s premium positioning and the genuine scarcity of high-end inventory on the Big Island.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kailua Kona, Hawaii
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