How Much Does Section 8 Pay in Honolulu? (FY2027 Payment Standards by ZIP)
Honolulu is one of the metros where HUD makes housing authorities set Section 8 rent ceilings ZIP code by ZIP code, so the number you are looking for depends on where the apartment is. For FY2027, the 2-bedroom Small Area Fair Market Rent runs from $2,080 in ZIP 96731 to $3,810 in ZIP 96825 across the 38 ZIP codes in Honolulu County, a gap of roughly half again.
Here's how to read those numbers, what they look like across the metro, and what they mean whether you hold a voucher or own a building.
The FY2027 Numbers: Low ZIP vs. High ZIP
The lowest and highest 2-bedroom ZIPs in Honolulu County, with every bedroom size:
| Bedrooms | ZIP 96731 | ZIP 96825 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,500 | $2,750 |
| 1 BR | $1,600 | $2,920 |
| 2 BR | $2,080 | $3,810 |
| 3 BR | $2,880 | $5,280 |
| 4 BR | $3,480 | $6,370 |
The middle of the range: the median 2-bedroom SAFMR across the 38 ZIP codes in Honolulu County is $2,540 (ZIP 96859). For reference, HUD's metro-wide FMR for the Urban Honolulu, HI area is $2,542 for a 2-bedroom, which is roughly what every ZIP would get if the metro weren't a Small Area FMR area.
One important caveat: these are HUD's FY2027 SAFMRs, the basis for payment standards. Each housing authority sets its actual payment standard within a band around these figures (typically 90% to 110%), so confirm the exact standard for your ZIP with your PHA before signing anything. You can browse the ZIP-by-ZIP numbers on our Honolulu Section 8 guide or straight from HUD's SAFMR dataset.
Beyond Honolulu County: The Whole Metro
A voucher can often be used elsewhere in the metro through portability, and the Urban Honolulu, HI area is bigger than Honolulu County: 60 ZIP codes in all, from $2,080 for a 2-bedroom in ZIP 96731 (Honolulu County) up to $3,810 in ZIP 96825 (Honolulu County). The metro-wide median is $2,540.
Five ZIP codes spaced across the metro show the whole ladder, from cheapest to most expensive:
| ZIP | County | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96731 | Honolulu County | $1,600 | $2,080 | $2,880 |
| 96759 | Honolulu County | $1,950 | $2,540 | $3,530 |
| 96820 | Honolulu County | $1,950 | $2,540 | $3,520 |
| 96744 | Honolulu County | $2,150 | $2,800 | $3,880 |
| 96825 | Honolulu County | $2,920 | $3,810 | $5,280 |
FY2026 to FY2027: The Change Effective October 1, 2026
HUD's metro-wide 2-bedroom FMR for Honolulu went down 3.8% from FY2026 to FY2027: $2,642 to $2,542. Across the 60 ZIP codes HUD published in both years, the 2-bedroom figure rose in 21 and fell in 39. The steepest cut was ZIP 96759, $2,820 to $2,540; the biggest increase was ZIP 96819, $2,320 to $2,460. A lower FMR does not cut a current tenant's subsidy right away. The housing authority may keep a family's existing payment standard for as long as it stays in the unit, and any reduction cannot start sooner than two years after the decrease takes effect, and only after written notice (24 CFR 982.505(c)(3)). The people who feel it first are new voucher holders and families who move, whose new leases are measured against the lower ceiling.
What You Actually Pay as a Tenant
Your share is generally 30% of your adjusted monthly income; the voucher covers the difference between that and the rent, up to the payment standard for your ZIP and bedroom size. Take a household earning $2,400 a month. Its share is about $720. In a ZIP where the 2-bedroom standard is $2,540, the voucher can cover up to $1,820 of the rent.
Practical consequence: in Honolulu, where you search changes what your voucher is worth more than almost any other decision. Two similar apartments on opposite sides of a ZIP boundary can differ by hundreds of dollars in approvable rent, while your own contribution stays pegged to your income.
Honolulu Landlords: What the Standard Means for You
The economics vary block to block. In ZIPs near the bottom of the table, the standard often matches what the unit would rent for unassisted, with the housing authority's portion arriving every month on schedule. In the higher-cost ZIPs, the ceiling is high enough that a voucher tenant competes with anyone. Either way the PHA runs a rent reasonableness check against comparable unassisted units before approving the lease.
Also non-negotiable: refusing a voucher holder is illegal in Hawaii under the Haw. Rev. Stat. §368F. Source of income is a protected class, so "no vouchers" in an ad is itself a violation.
If you own units in Honolulu, list them free on VoucherMatch and reach voucher holders searching by ZIP right now.
Who Administers Section 8 in Honolulu
Vouchers in the Honolulu metro area are administered by several authorities, and each sets its own payment standard inside HUD's band. The biggest ones:
- City and County of Honolulu, (808) 768-7096, about 5,100 vouchers
- Hawaii Public Housing Authority, (808) 832-4694, about 4,500 vouchers
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a 2-bedroom Section 8 voucher worth in Honolulu in FY2027? It depends on the ZIP code: HUD's FY2027 Small Area FMRs for 2-bedrooms range from $2,080 (96731) to $3,810 (96825) across the 38 ZIPs in Honolulu County, with a median around $2,540. Your PHA's payment standard is set from these figures.
Why does my voucher cover more in some neighborhoods than others? The Honolulu metro area is a mandatory Small Area FMR metro, so HUD publishes a separate FMR for every ZIP code instead of one metro-wide number. The ceiling moves with local rents.
Can a Honolulu landlord refuse my voucher? No. Refusing an applicant because they pay with a voucher is illegal in Hawaii under the Haw. Rev. Stat. §368F.
Do these numbers include utilities? The standards assume rent plus a utility allowance fit within the ceiling. If you pay utilities yourself, the approvable rent drops by the allowance for your unit size. The mechanics are the same ones we cover in our utility allowance guide, with Honolulu's own allowance schedules.
Where can I see the number for my exact ZIP? Our Honolulu Section 8 guide list payment data ZIP by ZIP, or check HUD's SAFMR lookup and confirm with your housing authority.
For the rest of the state, see our Hawaii Section 8 overview.
Have a voucher and looking in Honolulu? Browse voucher-friendly listings, filtered by ZIP and bedroom size.
Own property in the Honolulu metro area? List it free and reach tenants with guaranteed rent.
VoucherMatch Editorial Team
Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected
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