Kailua-Kona Real Estate

Local insight from Penn Henderson, R(S)

Properties for Sale
Luxury oceanview kitchen in Kohala Coast Hawaii with modern design and island lifestyle.
Condos
Big Island Hawaii real estate, oceanview luxury home in Kohala Coast with pool and outdoor living.
HOMES
LAND
NORTH KONA, HAWAI‘I

Where Sunsets, Swells, and Aloha Thrive.

Kailua-Kona, or simply “Kona” to locals, is the lively and historic center of the Big Island’s west coast. Once a small fishing village and retreat for Hawaiian royalty, it has grown into a thriving coastal town known for its oceanfront charm, rich history, and everyday conveniences. Offering a mix of walkable waterfront districts, residential neighborhoods, and hillside estates, Kona is a place where the past and present blend seamlessly.

Whether you’re looking for a relaxed island lifestyle, easy access to modern amenities, or a strong sense of community, Kailua-Kona is at the center of it all.

Oceanfront properties in Kona and Kohala Coast with stunning ocean views and resort-style amenities.
→ Ali‘i Drive, Kailua-Kona


Embracing Hawai‘i’s Island Lifestyle

Kona’s prime location along the leeward coast means residents enjoy year-round sunshine, minimal rainfall, and endless ocean views.
 
Life here revolves around the water – whether it’s watching a fiery sunset from Honl’s Beach, snorkeling in the clear waters of Kahalu‘u Bay, or setting out from Honokōhau Harbor for a day of deep-sea fishing.
 
The historic Ali‘i Drive, which runs along the coastline, is the town’s heartbeat, lined with oceanfront cafés, farmers’ markets, and historic landmarks that give Kailua-Kona its distinct charm.

Kailua-Kona Real Estate

2025 Sales Data

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Kailua-Kona Properties

Get to Know The

Kona

Big Island Adventure, Kona Style.

Kailua-Kona isn’t just about oceanfront relaxation; it’s also a launch point for some of the island’s best outdoor adventures.

Hike through the rugged lava fields of Kaloko-Honokōhau National Park, explore the serene cloud forests in higher elevations, or head south to Kealakekua Bay for some of the best snorkeling in Hawaii.

With Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualālai towering in the distance, there’s always a new adventure waiting just beyond the horizon.

  • Luxury oceanfront property in Kona with resort-style amenities and stunning views.
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  • Lifeguard tower at Kona beach, Big Island Hawaii oceanfront real estate.
  • Oceanfront property in Kona with sunset views and tropical landscape.
A surfer enjoying a calm summer day riding waves in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Living in Kona

People are drawn to Kailua-Kona because it offers the best of both worlds—easy access to modern conveniences and a connection to Hawaii’s history, culture, and natural beauty.
 
It’s a place where you can start your morning with a beachside coffee, spend your afternoon exploring the mountains, and end your day watching the sun melt into the Pacific.
 
Whether you’re looking for a thriving community, an outdoor-oriented lifestyle, or a place to simply slow down and enjoy life, Kona has it all.

FAQ

Common Questions About Kailua-Kona Real Estate

It is a working town of about 16,000 people that happens to sit on one of the prettiest coastlines in the Pacific. That surprises buyers who arrive expecting a resort. Kailua-Kona has the hospital, the airport fifteen minutes north, Costco, the courthouse, and the contractors, which means you can live an ordinary life here without driving an hour for it. Historic Kailua Village along the waterfront is genuinely old Hawaii, with Mokuaikaua Church, Hulihee Palace, and Ahuena Heiau within a few blocks of each other. The town is small enough that you will run into your escrow officer at the farmers market. Most people consider that a feature.

The most common question I get, and the answer usually comes down to how much activity you want outside your door. Kailua-Kona puts you in town: restaurants, the pier, the Sunday market, the busiest stretch of the vacation rental corridor, and traffic on Palani Road at five o’clock. Keauhou sits five miles south down Alii Drive, trading that energy for quiet, with its own shopping center, golf, and the calmest ocean access on this coast. Kona buyers tend to want walkability and rental income. Keauhou buyers tend to want the ocean without the crowd. Prices reflect it, with Keauhou single-family homes running well above the district median.

The ocean is the answer most days. Snorkeling at Kahaluu, swimming the Ironman course off the pier, outrigger paddling, diving with manta rays after dark, and some of the best deep-sea fishing in the world out of Honokohau Harbor. On land, there is hiking above Kaloko, coffee farm tours through the belt above town, and beaches from Magic Sands to Kua Bay within twenty minutes. The calendar has real anchors: the Ironman World Championship comes down Alii Drive every October, the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival runs in November, and the Jingle Bell Beach Run fills the waterfront in December. I have raced Ironman here three times and co-founded the Jingle Bell run, so I am biased about both.

Three broad zones. The Alii Drive corridor holds most of the oceanfront and ocean-view condominiums, where the vacation rental inventory is concentrated, and prices per square foot are highest. The hillside subdivisions above town offer single-family homes with wide ocean views, cooler evenings, and a five- to ten-minute drive down. Closer in, older kamaaina neighborhoods near the village offer walkability and larger lots across a wider range of conditions and prices. Which zone fits depends almost entirely on whether the property needs to generate income, and that is worth sorting out before we start touring.

Some of it, and location decides. The resort-zoned stretch along Alii Drive holds most of the legitimately permitted short-term inventory, which is exactly why those condominiums carry a premium over comparable units a few blocks inland. Outside resort zoning, a property needs a nonconforming use certificate with a clean renewal history, and the supply of those is fixed. Even where county zoning allows it, the AOAO can restrict or prohibit rentals, and several buildings along that corridor do. Verify zoning, permit status, renewal record, and house rules before writing an offer. Assumptions here cost real money.

Kailua-Kona is one of the driest, sunniest places in the state, with rain that tends to arrive as afternoon showers upslope rather than all-day weather at the coast. Daytime highs sit in the mid-eighties most of the year, and evenings are warm near the water, cooler by ten degrees or more a few hundred feet up. Vog is real and it is intermittent, arriving when winds turn southerly and carry volcanic haze up the west side. Some weeks you notice it, most weeks you do not, and sensitive people do feel it. Anyone with a respiratory condition should spend time here before committing.

Traffic and cost of living, in that order. Kona has essentially one main road through town, and the afternoon backup on Palani and Kuakini surprises people who pictured island life as frictionless. Electricity runs several times mainland rates, which is why photovoltaic matters. Shipping adds up, the retail selection is limited, and a mainland trip is a full day of travel. None of it is a reason not to buy here. All of it is worth planning around, honestly, and I would rather walk you through it now than have you learn it in your second year. I have lived in Kona since 2001.

Talk Story

Every Big Island move starts with a conversation. Tell me what you are looking for, and we will take it from there.

Compass Real Estate in Kona, Hawaii - Penn Henderson, Big Island Real Estate
Penn Henderson, Compass Hawaii

75-1029 Henry St., Suite 301
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Phone: (808) 345-6214
Email: penn@pennhenderson.com