This article is fourth in a series on retirement hot-spots in Hawaii. In previous articles in this series, we covered retirement communities within the city of Honolulu, elsewhere on Oahu, and on Maui, Molokai, and Lana’i. This article focuses on the Big Island.
If you’re looking for subsidized, low-income senior housing, read the section on affordable housing for seniors from this series’ companion article on Senior Benefits & Programs In Hawaii. Whereas those subsidized housing programs require that income (and sometimes assets) not exceed a certain amount, the communities covered here have no such eligibility requirements.
NOTE: All purchase prices listed are fee-simple, unless otherwise stated. Price ranges are approximate as of mid-2026, sourced from regional MLS data and published market reports (Hawaii Life, Ke Team Hawaii, Big Island Comps). Big Island real estate has appreciated significantly since this article was first published in 2017 — always verify current listings with a licensed Hawaii real estate agent before making any decisions.
Hawi & Kapa’au
- Location: Northeastern tip of the Big Island.
- What it has to offer: Small-town community, picturesque scenery, homes with ocean and mountain views, large agriculture-zoned home sites (suitable for horses), shops, restaurants, art galleries, Kamehameha Park (pool, tennis courts, gymnasium, and Golf Learning Center), Kohala Hospital, Kohala Historical Sites State Monument, Lapakahi State Historical Park.
- Single family homes: Starting in the $500,000s; most homes range from $600,000 to $900,000, with acreage properties higher.
North Kohala Subdivisions
- Location: South of Hawi and slightly north of Kawaihae on the northern Kohala Coast.
- What it has to offer: Oceanfront homes (Kohala By The Sea, Kohala Waterfront & Kohala Estates subdivisions), upcountry homes (Kohala Ranch subdivision), large home lots, panoramic ocean and mountain views, gated communities, Kawaihae Harbor, Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site (83-acre ancient war temple), Pua Mau Place botanical garden, Spencer Beach Park, shops and restaurants in nearby Kawaihae, Waimea (Kamuela), Hawi, and Kapa’au.
- Single family homes: Starting in the $900,000s in Kohala Estates; Kohala Ranch properties typically list from $1.5 million, with oceanfront Kohala Waterfront homes frequently exceeding $3 million. North Kohala is among the thinnest markets on the island — inventory is limited year-round.
Waimea (also known as Kamuela)
- Location: East of Kawaihae, in the north-central part of the Big Island.
- What it has to offer: Cooler elevation (2,670 feet), cattle ranches and paniolos, small-town character with many amenities: Waimea Country Club, restaurants, shops, Parker Ranch Shopping Center, North Hawaii Community Hospital, Kahilu Theatre, Parker Ranch, Parker Ranch Museum, Anna Ranch Heritage Center, Da Hana Ranch, Waimea Nature Park (Ula La’au).
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $400,000s + monthly maintenance fee.
- Single family homes: Starting in the $500,000s, with the median closer to $700,000–$800,000 for move-in-ready homes.
Mauna Kea Resort & Puako
- Location: South of Kawaihae on the Kohala Coast.
- What it has to offer: Oceanfront homes, resort community (including Hapuna Golf Course, Mauna Kea Golf Course, Seaside Tennis Club, Mauna Kea Spa, Paul Brown Salon & Spa, shops, and restaurants), Kauna’oa Beach and Hapuna Beach (two of the island’s finest), excellent snorkeling and diving, tidepools, very little rain, petroglyphs.
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $800,000s + monthly maintenance fee.
- Single family homes: Starting at approximately $2 million in Mauna Kea Resort; starting in the $1.2 million range in Puako.
Mauna Lani Resort
- Location: South of Puako on the Kohala Coast.
- What it has to offer: Oceanfront homes, resort community (including 2 golf courses, tennis courts, Mauna Lani Sports & Fitness Club, Mauna Lani Spa, Spa Without Walls, The Shops at Mauna Lani, and restaurants), Holoholokai Beach, walking trail, fishponds, petroglyphs.
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $700,000s + monthly maintenance fee.
- Single family homes: Starting at approximately $2.5 million.
Waikoloa Beach Resort
- Location: Directly south of Mauna Lani Resort on the Kohala Coast.
- What it has to offer: Oceanfront homes, resort-community amenities (including 2 golf courses, tennis courts, Mandara Spa at Waikoloa, Kohala Spa, Queens’ MarketPlace, Kings’ Shops, restaurants, Waikoloa Bowl), beaches, fishponds, walking trail, petroglyphs.
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $400,000s + monthly maintenance fee, with the median condo in the $500,000–$600,000 range.
Waikoloa Village
- Location: East of Waikoloa Beach Resort, inland.
- What it has to offer: Master-planned and family-oriented community, among the more affordable options on the Kohala Coast, Waikoloa Village Golf Club, Waikoloa Senior Center, Waikoloa Community Park, tennis courts, Waikoloa Stables, Waikoloa Highlands Shopping Center, restaurants, close to Waikoloa Beach Resort amenities.
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $300,000s + monthly maintenance fee — among the most accessible price points on the western side of the island.
- Single family homes: Starting in the $500,000s.
Hualalai Resort & Kukio
- Location: South of Waikoloa Beach Resort, in northern Kailua-Kona.
- What it has to offer: Oceanfront homes, ultra-luxury resort community (including Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hualalai Golf Club, Kukio Golf & Beach Club, Hualalai Sports Club, tennis courts, Hualalai Spa, shops, restaurants), private beaches, Kikaua Point Park, Kekaha Kai State Park, proximity to Kona International Airport.
- Condos/townhomes: Starting at approximately $2 million + monthly maintenance fee and resort membership dues.
- Single family homes: Starting at approximately $5 million; ultra-luxury estates can reach $15 million and beyond. Hualalai and Kukio represent the pinnacle of Big Island luxury real estate.
Kailua-Kona
- Location: In the middle of the leeward coast of the Big Island.
- What it has to offer: Sunny and dry climate year-round, golf course homes, large-town amenities (several shopping centers, the only Costco on the island, big-box stores, multi-plex movie theater), Big Island Country Club, Makalei Golf Club, scenic Ali’i Drive, several beach parks, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park, Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area.
- Senior residence: Regency at Hualalai offers independent living and assisted living services (including memory care for residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia), on a month-to-month lease basis. Amenities include outdoor pool and spa, exercise and recreation rooms, 24-hour coffee and tea lounge, media room and computer center, fitness and wellness programs, restaurant-style dining room, private dining room, and library. Pet-friendly.
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $400,000s + monthly maintenance fee; the Kona median condo is now approximately $550,000–$600,000.
- Single family homes: Starting in the $700,000s, with the Kona median now approximately $1.3 million — one of the highest on the island.
Keauhou & Kahalu’u
- Location: South of Kailua-Kona on the Kona Coast.
- What it has to offer: Oceanfront homes, golf course homes, resort community (including Kona Country Club, Keauhou Shopping Center, Island Slice Tennis Company, Ko’a Spa, and Ho’ola Spa), Kahalu’u Beach Park (excellent snorkeling and diving). Nearby in Kealakekua and Captain Cook: Kona Community Hospital, Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park (snorkeling, diving, and kayaking), Aloha Performing Arts Company, Kona Historical Society.
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $400,000s + monthly maintenance fee.
- Single family homes: Starting in the $500,000s.
Volcano & Pahala
- Location: Southwest of Hilo, inland and toward the south shore of the Big Island.
- What it has to offer: Relatively affordable homes by Hawaii standards, cooler elevation (3,750 feet in Volcano), plenty of rain, small-town community, lush trees and ferns, picturesque cottages and plantation homes, Volcano Golf & Country Club, Sea Mountain Golf Club, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (home to Halema’uma’u Crater, actively erupting in recent years), Volcano Art Center, Volcano Winery, Pahala Park & Community Center, shops, restaurants, art studios, Ka’u Hospital, Punalu’u Beach Park (Black Sand Beach).
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $200,000s + monthly maintenance fee.
- Single family homes: Starting in the $200,000s, making this one of the more affordable areas on the island.
Pahoa & Lower Puna
- Location: Southeast of Hilo, in the lower Puna district of the Big Island.
- Important note about the 2018 lava flow: In May–August 2018, Kilauea’s Fissure 8 eruption produced massive lava flows that buried most of the Kapoho Beach Lots and Kapoho Vacationland subdivisions east of Pahoa — approximately 320–330 homes in the Kapoho area were destroyed. Kapoho Bay was entirely filled with new lava, and the famous Kapoho tidepools and Ahalanui Warm Ponds no longer exist. Prospective buyers should carefully research lava zone designations: much of lower Puna sits in Lava Zone 1 (highest hazard), and homeowner’s insurance can be difficult and expensive to obtain. Pahoa town itself was not destroyed and remains a functioning community.
- What Pahoa has to offer: An eclectic, arts-oriented small-town character, shops and restaurants, art galleries, public swimming pool, plant nurseries, papaya farms, and access to remaining beaches and recreational areas. Lava Tree State Monument is intact.
- Single family homes (Pahoa area): Starting in the $250,000s for basic homes, ranging to $400,000–$600,000+ for newer or better-situated properties. Lava Zone 1 properties carry significant risk and limited insurability — factor this into any purchase decision.
Hilo
- Location: In the middle of the windward coast of the Big Island.
- What it has to offer: Relatively affordable homes by Hawaii standards, lush tropical landscape, lots of rain, large-town amenities: big-box stores, Prince Kuhio Plaza Mall, multi-plex movie theater, lots of shops and restaurants, 2 golf courses (Hilo Municipal Golf Course, Naniloa Volcanoes Golf Club), Hilo Medical Center, Palace Theatre, Panaewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens, Imiloa Astronomy Center, several beaches and parks (including Wailuku River State Park and Wailoa River State Recreation Area), Hilo International Airport, Hilo Harbor, University of Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii Community College. Just north of Hilo: Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Kulaniapia Falls.
- Condos/townhomes: Starting in the $200,000s + monthly maintenance fee.
- Single family homes: Starting in the $300,000s, with the Hilo median now approximately $480,000 — making it one of the most accessible markets on the island for buyers.
Honoka’a & Pa’auhau
- Location: North of Hilo and east of Waimea (Kamuela), on the Hamakua Coast.
- What it has to offer: Small-town community, homes with scenic ocean views, farmland, sunshine (in Pa’auhau), Hamakua Country Club, shops and restaurants, Hale Ho’ola Hamakua Hospital, public gymnasium with indoor track and tennis courts, community swimming pool, Honoka’a People’s Theatre, several parks, hiking and biking trails, not far from amenities in Waimea (Kamuela).
- Single family homes: Starting in the $350,000s.