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RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 96728 (Honomu, HI)

Negative cash flow at today's 7.78% investor rate with 25% down; the typical home breaks even at about 1.2%.

Rent here is HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom, because Zillow does not publish a rent index for this ZIP. It is the 40th percentile of gross rents, so market rent for a typical home is likely higher and the yield and cash flow below are conservative.
Gross yield
5.3%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
3.0%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$1,522/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$522,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
HUD Fair Market Rent
$2,310/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$27,720
Vacancy$1,386
Management$2,107
Property tax$1,635
Insurance$1,859
Maintenance$5,224
Net operating income$15,509
Loan payments$33,780
Cash flow-$18,270
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$522,387
Down payment (25%)$130,597
Loan$391,790
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$2,815
Cash in$146,268
Cash-on-cash return-12.5%
DSCR0.46
Break-even rate1.18%
Down payment25%
A common minimum for investment-property and DSCR loans.
Interest rate7.78%
Freddie Mac 30-year 7.03% (week of 2026-09-24) + 0.75 point investor premium.
Loan term30 years
Fixed, fully amortising.
Closing costs3% of price
Added to cash invested.
Insurance$1,859 a year
NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for Hawaii, $1,549, x 1.2 for a landlord policy.
Maintenance1% of price a year
The 1% rule of thumb; older homes run higher.
Vacancy5% of rent
About 18 days empty a year.
Management8% of collected rent
A typical full-service fee; zero if you self-manage.

Trends

Five years to August 2026

Price, 12 months
+2.8%
Rent, 12 months
n/a
no Zillow rent series here
Rent minus price growth
n/a
positive means yields are improving
Typical value (Zillow ZHVI)Indexed to 100 at Aug 2021
10010511011512020222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical value
Aug 2021$465,406
Aug 2022$553,369
Aug 2023$527,307
Aug 2024$538,091
Aug 2025$508,053
Aug 2026$522,387

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$1,770$1,780$2,310$2,920$3,370
Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026not published for this ZIP

HUD's Fair Market Rent is the 40th percentile gross rent (rent plus utilities) for a standard unit, and it is what Section 8 vouchers pay against. Zillow's index tracks asking rents on listed homes. The two measure different things, so they are shown side by side and never averaged. HUD area: Hawaii County, HI.

Property tax

Effective rate
0.31%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$1,635/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Hawaii County: 0.28%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
14.4
Hawaii County, last 12 months
National percentile
82th
among US counties

1,066 new housing units permitted in 2025-09 to 2026-08, Census Building Permits Survey. A high figure means more new supply competing for tenants.

Nearby ZIP codes

ZIPDistanceTypical priceRentGross yieldCash flow /mo
96783Pepeekeo1.9 mi$553,000$2,020*4.4%-$1,953
96781Papaikou6.1 mi$532,000$2,280*5.1%-$1,582
96710Honomu7.7 mi$960,000$2,280*2.9%-$4,388
96780Papaaloa9.6 mi$827,000$1,870*2.7%-$3,713
96764Laupahoehoe12.1 mi$626,000$1,870*3.6%-$2,470
96720Hilo15.5 mi$551,000$2,1314.6%-$1,847
96776Honokaa18.8 mi$538,000$1,950*4.3%-$1,978
96749Keaau18.9 mi$467,000$1,870*4.8%-$1,538

* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom (no Zillow rent index for that ZIP).

Every ZIP in Hawaii CountyHilo, HI metroHawaii

Run the numbers on a real listing

The calculator opens with this ZIP's figures. Swap in a listing's price and rent, your rate and your costs.

Open the calculator for 96728

Questions

Is 96728 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $522,000 and renting for $2,310 a month (HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, FY2026), the gross yield is 5.3% and the estimated cap rate is 3.0%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$1,522 a month. The median gross yield across the 8,418 ZIP codes with full Zillow data is 5.6%. These are figures for a typical property, not a judgement on any particular one.
What is the typical rent in 96728?
Zillow does not publish a rent index for 96728. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $2,310, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 96728?
The effective property tax rate is about 0.31% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $522,000 home that is about $1,635 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 96728 break even?
About 1.18%. Below that rate, the typical home here cash-flows with 25% down and the default costs; above it, it does not. Today's investor rate used here is 7.78%.
How fast are prices and rents changing in 96728?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed +2.8%.

Sources and method

Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.

Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.