Kauai Condo Market Update: Sales Are Down, But Prices Are Holding Steady

If you watched my June Kauai Home Market Update, you saw that Kauai’s housing market has remained more resilient than many people expected. Condominiums, however, tell a different story.

That’s not surprising when you think about it. Most condominiums on Kauai are vacation rentals, and the motivations behind purchasing a vacation rental or second home are very different from those that drive the purchase of a primary residence. As a result, condo sales are down across much of the island.

One notable exception is Lihue, where the condominium market is primarily residential rather than vacation rental driven, and median prices continued to move higher.

Historically, Kauai’s condominium market tends to follow the direction of the housing market rather than lead it. So let’s take a look at what the first six months of 2026 are telling us about where that market stands today, starting with the number of sales.

First Half Condo Sales: 2025 vs. 2026

• Island Wide: Sales are down 21.33%, going from 150 last year to 118 this year.
• South Shore: The strongest performer, nearly a push, down just 4.55%, going from 44 to 42 sales.
• North Shore: Sales are down 39.96%, going from 46 to 29.
• Lihue: Sales are down 20.51%, going from 39 to 31.

The Real Story Is the Price

The headline here isn’t that condominium sales were down. It’s the median price. Even with fewer sales, prices proved surprisingly resilient. Island Wide and on the South Shore, median prices were down less than 5%. The North Shore came in a little higher than that, and Lihue, where the condominium market is primarily owner occupied rather than vacation rentals, posted a nice increase in median price.

Median Condo Prices by Region

• Island Wide: Median price is down 4.06%, now at $839,500 compared to $875,000 last year.
• South Shore: Median price is down 4.23%, at $1,053,500 compared to $1,100,000 last year.
• North Shore: Median price is down 8.39%, at $999,000 compared to $1,090,500 last year.
• Lihue: Despite fewer sales, median price is up 19.05%, at $625,000 compared to $525,000 last year.

What This Means Going Forward

Taken together, the first half of 2026 shows a condo market that is cooling in volume but not collapsing in value. The resilience in pricing, especially in a segment so closely tied to discretionary vacation and second home buyers, suggests owners are not under pressure to sell at a discount. Lihue stands out as the market to watch, with residential-driven demand keeping both sales and prices moving in a healthy direction.

I’ll be here for the second half of 2026 keeping you informed on our Kauai real estate market.

If you would like to have Kauai Real Estate information delivered directly to your inbox every week you can sign up here: https://conta.cc/3scxsX4 

Aloha!

Lynda Gill RS Lic. 63088  

Hawai’i Life Real Estate Brokers 808.346.0056  

LyndaGill@HawaiiLife.com