What Airbnb listings in Kaʻū earn, how often they're booked, and how that compares with the rest of Big Island, HI.

Over the past 12 months, regularly available listings in Kaʻū earned $23,620 on average, were booked for 49% of the nights they were open, and averaged $228 a night. The median gross yield, before expenses, is 8.9%.
Yearly revenue
$23,620
Occupancy
49%
Nightly rate
$228
Gross yield
8.9%
before expenses
Median of 21 listings
Active listings
72
A yield-only screen misses Kaʻū's smaller booking-revenue base. Average trailing-year booking revenue is $23,620, versus $51,946 islandwide, while median potential gross yield is much closer to the island benchmark: 8.9% versus 9.4%. That yield uses annual revenue potential and matched home values, not the trailing-year booking average, and excludes expenses, financing and taxes. Fixed expenses can consume a larger share of a smaller revenue base, so relatively similar gross yields do not imply similar cash flow.
Commentary uses groups of at least 20 listings. Tables may include smaller groups.
Regularly available Airbnb listings in Kaʻū earned an average of $23,620 over the past 12 months. That is 55% less than the Big Island, HI average of $51,946. That is booking revenue including cleaning fees, before Airbnb fees, operating costs and taxes.
Listings in Kaʻū were booked for an average of 49% of the nights they were open for booking over the past 12 months. That is 6 points lower than the Big Island, HI average of 55%. Nights a host blocked off don't count.
The average nightly rate in Kaʻū was $228 over the past 12 months, including cleaning fees. That is 57% lower than the Big Island, HI average of $527.
For homes with a matched home value, the median room-revenue potential in Kaʻū is $29,228 a year and the median gross yield is 8.9%. Gross yield is 0.5 points lower than the Big Island, HI median. Gross yield is measured before expenses, financing and taxes, so profit depends on what you pay for a home and what it costs to run. Analyze the exact property before you buy.
Reveal any property's Airbnb profitabilityThe table shows average yearly revenue and median gross yield for each home size, with the Big Island, HI figure for the same size under each one.
| Bedrooms | Yearly revenue | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|
| Studio 14 listings | $22,132 Big Island, HI: $32,033 | – |
| 1 bedroom 25 listings | $20,217 Big Island, HI: $29,551 | 9.1% Big Island, HI: 10.1% |
| 2 bedrooms 21 listings | $27,146 Big Island, HI: $43,965 | 9.1% Big Island, HI: 8.6% |
| 3 bedrooms 10 listings | $25,706 Big Island, HI: $66,713 | 6.8% Big Island, HI: 9.8% |
Every row uses the same method and data date. Nearby areas link to their own pages.
| Area | Yearly revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaʻū This area 72 listings | $23,620 | 49% | $228 | 8.9% |
| Big Island, HI market 6,893 listings | $51,946 | 55% | $527 | 9.4% |
| South Kona 199 listings | $40,635 | 54% | $375 | 12.2% |
| Keaʻau–Volcano Corridor 325 listings | $31,898 | 60% | $267 | 11.4% |
| Hilo Area 341 listings | $36,813 | 59% | $310 | 9.6% |
| Kahaluʻu-Keauhou 1,083 listings | $47,258 | 53% | $488 | 8.3% |
The Big Island, HI market includes 12 areas based on local neighborhood and city boundaries. Each listing is counted in the area containing it.
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It is the average booking revenue a regularly available listing earned over the past 12 months, including cleaning fees and before Airbnb fees, operating costs and taxes. It is an estimate, not verified host payouts.
For each listing, BNBCalc divides the nights booked by the nights it was open for booking over the past 12 months, then averages the results. Nights a host blocked off are left out.
It is the average price per booked night over the past 12 months, including cleaning fees.
It estimates what a listing would earn in a year from its nightly rates if it were available all year at its expected occupancy, based on its last 12 months of bookings. It excludes cleaning fees. It is an estimate, not income a host received.
For each listing, BNBCalc divides its room-revenue potential by an estimated value for a home with the same ZIP code and bedroom count, then reports the median. It is measured before expenses, financing and taxes, so it is not profit or a full return on investment.
Yearly revenue, occupancy and nightly rate cover listings of every type and size that were open for booking at least 127 nights over the past year (72 in Kaʻū). Room-revenue potential and gross yield cover entire homes with one to five bedrooms that were also booked for at least 30% of their open nights and have a matched home value. BNBCalc shows no figure for an area with fewer than 5 qualifying listings.
Figures are current as of November 3, 2026 and refresh monthly.
The market page summarizes all of Big Island, HI from a separate monthly market dataset. This page averages the individual listings in each area, so the two can differ. Use this page to compare areas with each other.
They don't include operating costs, financing, taxes, insurance or the price of a specific home, and they don't show whether short-term rentals are allowed. Check local rules and analyze the exact property before you buy.
With BNBCalc Markets, compare Kaʻū by bedroom count and performance level, see home prices, and browse its listings on the map.