Land for Sale in Hawaii County (Big Island), HI
Hawaii County covers the Big Island: 4,028 square miles of land, 200,629 residents (2020 census) and an estimated 210,043 in 2025, with Hilo as its seat. It holds some of the largest lot subdivisions in the state, including Puna, Hawaiian Acres and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. Land use districts, lava hazard zones, water catchment and cesspool rules decide what a lot is worth, and this guide covers each.
Hawaii County at a glance
- County seat: Hilo. The county is the Island of Hawaii, the Big Island; Hawaiian Ocean View is a census-designated place.
- 2020 population 200,629, and about 210,043 in the 2025 estimate; 5,087 square miles in total, 4,028 of them land.
- Districts: Puna, South Hilo, North Hilo, Hamakua, North and South Kohala, North and South Kona, and Kau.
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is in the county.
- All Hawaii land is classified into one of four state land use districts: Urban, Rural, Agricultural or Conservation.
The Big Island land market
Large older subdivisions in Puna, Hawaiian Acres and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates offer lots often of an acre or more, many without county water or sewer. Lot condition varies widely, so read the specific parcel rather than the subdivision name.
Land use districts: what you can build
Hawaii's State Land Use Commission oversees four districts: Urban, Rural, Agricultural and Conservation. The district determines what you can build and whether you can subdivide. Rural land is where small farms mix with low-density residential lots, generally at no more than one dwelling per half acre. The Commission reviews boundary changes over 15 acres or any in the Conservation District, with smaller changes handled by the county. Confirm the parcel's district and county zoning before you offer, and ask whether a dwelling is allowed on an agricultural lot.
Lava hazard zones and insurance
Lava Zones 1 and 2 on the Big Island have had limited homeowner insurance, with the state's Hawaii Property Insurance Association as the insurer of last resort in 2023 reporting, and premiums rising sharply after the 2018 Kilauea eruption; one report said some customers faced increases of 400% or more. An official has noted the hazard map was last updated in 1992. These reports are from 2021 to 2023, so get an insurance quote for the exact parcel and confirm its zone and the current map before you buy.
Water catchment, cesspools and roads
Many Hawaiian Acres and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates lots rely on rainwater catchment tanks and some residents haul drinking water, though some lots have county water, so check each parcel. Act 125 of 2017 requires all cesspools in Hawaii to be converted to approved systems by 2050; the county has an estimated 50,000 cesspools, about 14,800 in Puna alone, and a 2022 bill proposed conversions at sale, so confirm the current law with the Department of Health. Subdivision roads may be private and carry road maintenance fees, so ask. Also confirm whether the land is fee simple or leasehold, since leasehold buyers do not own the land and lease terms and rent resets matter.
Before you buy land on the Big Island
- State land use district and county zoning, and what a dwelling requires.
- Lava hazard zone and a homeowner insurance quote.
- Water: county connection, catchment or hauling.
- Sewer: cesspool status and the 2050 conversion rule.
- Fee simple or leasehold, road access and maintenance fees.
How to verify legal access to landLand due diligence checklist
Frequently asked questions
What are Hawaii's land use districts?
Every parcel is in one of four state districts: Urban, Rural, Agricultural or Conservation. The district decides what you can build and whether you can subdivide.
Do Big Island lots have water and sewer?
Many do not. Lots in Hawaiian Acres and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates commonly use rainwater catchment, and many use cesspools, which Act 125 requires to be converted by 2050.
What is a lava zone?
A hazard rating used for the Big Island. Lava Zones 1 and 2 have had limited and costly homeowner insurance, so get a quote for the specific parcel.