Section 8 Rent Limits in Hawaii for FY2027: Fair Market Rent for Every County
There is no single Section 8 rent limit for Hawaii. HUD publishes one Fair Market Rent per county, 5 of them for FY2027, and the 2-bedroom figure stretches from $2,081 (Hawaii County) to $2,656 (Maui County). The median county is $2,326. Your housing authority's payment standard, the number that actually caps your lease, is set between 90% and 110% of the figure for your county.
Year over year, 2 of the 5 counties with figures in both years went up and 3 went down. Maui County had the biggest jump, $2,624 to $2,656 (+1.2%). Kauai County took the biggest cut, $2,332 to $2,105 (-9.7%). One metro in Hawaii is on HUD's mandatory Small Area FMR list (Urban Honolulu, HI), where the limit is set ZIP code by ZIP code instead of by county; the county figure there is only an average.
How the number becomes your rent limit. The FMR is HUD's estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent (rent plus utilities) for a modest unit in the area. Your housing authority publishes a payment standard for each bedroom size, between 90% and 110% of the FMR. You pay roughly 30% of adjusted monthly income; the voucher covers the rest up to the payment standard. If the unit's gross rent is above the standard, you pay the difference, but a new lease cannot leave your share above 40% of income.
FY2027 Fair Market Rents by Metro Area in Hawaii
HUD groups counties into FMR areas; a metro's figure applies to every county inside it. "ZIP-level" marks mandatory Small Area FMR metros.
| FMR area | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2 BR vs FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | $1,850 | $2,030 | $2,656 | $3,351 | $4,143 | +1.2% |
| Kalawao County, HI | $1,621 | $1,778 | $2,326 | $2,932 | $3,630 | -6.7% |
| Urban Honolulu, HI (ZIP-level) | $1,836 | $1,951 | $2,542 | $3,520 | $4,249 | -3.8% |
FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Every County in Hawaii
All 5 counties, alphabetical. Studio figures are in the metro table above.
| County | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2 BR vs FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii County | $1,615 | $2,081 | $2,620 | $2,910 | +0.2% |
| Honolulu County | $1,951 | $2,542 | $3,520 | $4,249 | -3.8% |
| Kalawao County | $1,778 | $2,326 | $2,932 | $3,630 | -6.7% |
| Kauai County | $1,609 | $2,105 | $2,588 | $2,952 | -9.7% |
| Maui County | $2,030 | $2,656 | $3,351 | $4,143 | +1.2% |
Where the Limit Moved Most From FY2026 to FY2027
Biggest increases (2-bedroom):
| County | FY2026 | FY2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maui County | $2,624 | $2,656 | +1.2% |
| Hawaii County | $2,076 | $2,081 | +0.2% |
Biggest cuts (2-bedroom):
| County | FY2026 | FY2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kauai County | $2,332 | $2,105 | -9.7% |
| Kalawao County | $2,492 | $2,326 | -6.7% |
| Honolulu County | $2,642 | $2,542 | -3.8% |
HUD caps a one-year decrease at 10%, so a county showing exactly -10.0% hit the floor. A lower FMR does not change an existing lease; it narrows the band for new leases and rent increases, and a reduced payment standard reaches a family already housed only at its second annual reexamination after the change.
Where a Voucher Beats the Market in Hawaii
Comparing HUD's 2-bedroom limit to Zillow's observed rent in the same ZIP code shows where a voucher actually stretches. No Hawaii metro with enough data has a positive median: Urban Honolulu comes closest, with the typical ZIP's limit -10.1% against market rent and 35% of its ZIPs above the going rent. "Median premium" is the typical ZIP's rent limit minus market rent, as a percent of market rent.
| Metro | ZIPs with data | Median premium | ZIPs above market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 23 | -10.1% | 35% |
Even where the median is negative, the ZIPs above market are where voucher tenants and landlords match fastest. The national ranking is in our voucher-vs-market analysis.
The Largest Housing Authorities in Hawaii
Which authority issued your voucher decides which payment standard applies. The biggest programs in the state:
- City and County of Honolulu (Honolulu), about 5,100 vouchers, (808) 768-7096
- Hawaii Public Housing Authority (Honolulu), about 4,500 vouchers, (808) 832-4694
- County of Hawaii (Hilo), about 2,300 vouchers, (808) 959-4642
- County of Maui (Wailuku), about 1,600 vouchers, (808) 270-7751
- Kauai County Housing Agency (Lihue), about 1,200 vouchers, (808) 241-4440
Can a Landlord Refuse a Voucher in Hawaii?
No. Hawaii protects source of income statewide (Haw. Rev. Stat. §368F), so refusing an applicant because they pay with a voucher is illegal anywhere in the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Section 8 pay in Hawaii? It depends on the county. HUD's FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent runs from $2,081 in Hawaii County to $2,656 in Maui County, with a median county of $2,326. Your housing authority's payment standard is 90% to 110% of the figure for your county, and the voucher pays that standard minus about 30% of your adjusted income.
Which Hawaii county has the highest Section 8 rent limit? Maui County, at $2,656 for a 2-bedroom ($3,351 for a 3-bedroom) in FY2027. The lowest is Hawaii County at $2,081.
Did Section 8 rent limits go up in Hawaii for FY2027? Mostly no: the 2-bedroom figure rose in 2 counties, fell in 3, and held in 0. The biggest increase was Maui County (+1.2%). The biggest cut was Kauai County (-9.7%).
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Hawaii? No. Hawaii protects source of income statewide (Haw. Rev. Stat. §368F), so refusing an applicant because they pay with a voucher is illegal anywhere in the state.
Where is my housing authority's actual payment standard? On the authority's website, usually a one-page PDF updated each fall, or by calling its Housing Choice Voucher office. The largest Hawaii authorities are listed above with phone numbers.
See also our Hawaii Section 8 overview; metro guides for Urban Honolulu; the national 2-bedroom table for the 40 largest metros; HUD's FY2027 FMR dataset.
Holding a voucher in Hawaii? Browse voucher-friendly listings by ZIP code and bedroom size.
Hawaii landlord? List your property free. The table above is what a voucher tenant's authority can pay.
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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