Performance indicators for the Paauilo short-term rental market based on reliable data.
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The highest-performing listings in Paauilo.
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Challenging to Investors
STRs are allowed only in specific commercial, resort, and limited residential zones, excluding most residential areas without nonconforming status; the unhosted permit costs $1,000 initial plus $250 annual renewals and requires detailed documentation; strict operational rules (1-hour response, parking-tied occupancy caps) and severe escalating fines ($2,500-$10,000) increase compliance risk.
Local STR Agent
STR specialist · Paauilo, HI
Paauilo is a small rural community on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, situated in Hawaii County along the windward slope of Mauna Kea. With a small population of several hundred residents, it has the laid-back, agricultural character of an old sugar plantation town, surrounded by rolling green hills, eucalyptus groves, and sweeping ocean views. The community serves as a quiet waypoint for travelers exploring the scenic Hamakua Coast, sitting roughly 25 miles north of Hilo along the Hawaii Belt Road and roughly 30 miles southeast of Waimea.
A short drive south of Paauilo brings visitors to Akaka Falls State Park, one of the most photographed natural sites on the Big Island. The park features two waterfalls set within a lush rainforest, including the 442-foot Akaka Falls, and is typically reached in about 20 to 25 minutes via the Belt Road heading southeast toward Hilo.
To the north, the legendary Waipiʻo Valley opens up below the highway as one of the most storied landscapes in Hawaii. Once a densely populated taro-farming valley and a place of great cultural importance, it now offers a sweeping black-sand beach at its base and hiking trails along its dramatic cliffs. The scenic overlook is roughly 30 minutes from Paauilo by car, with the small town of Honokaa along the way offering a stop for coffee or supplies.
Closer to town, the surrounding Hamakua countryside rewards visitors with botanical gardens and smaller roadside waterfalls, while the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden near Onomea Bay is a standout. Located about 25 to 30 minutes south of Paauilo, the garden showcases thousands of tropical plant species along a coastal rainforest trail and is consistently ranked among the finest botanical gardens in the state.
With its central position on the windward Big Island, Paauilo offers short-term rental guests a peaceful, off-the-beaten-path home base from which to explore the waterfalls, valleys, and rainforests of the Hamakua Coast. Its location between Hilo and the resort areas of the Kohala Coast makes it a practical and memorable place to stay for travelers who want to experience a quieter, more agricultural side of Hawaii.