Ideal CityOpen the map

East Honolulu vs Hilo

East Honolulu, Hawaii versus Hilo, Hawaii: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

East Honolulu

Mixed · objective livability48/100

Hilo

Mixed · objective livability40/100

East Honolulu edges out Hilo on overall objective livability (48 vs 40 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorEast HonoluluHilo
Affordability
Median Household Income$151k$76k
Cost of Living$74k$69k
Home Value$1.1M$418k
Monthly Rent$3k$1k
Monthly Owner Costs$4k$2k
Property Tax Rate0.30%0.25%
Income Tax11.00%11.00%
Sales Tax4.50%4.50%
Estimated total tax burden14.72%13.89%
Unemployment3.8%6.8%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)73°F68°F
Summer Temp (Jul)80°F73°F
Annual Precipitation24.8 in151.2 in
Annual Snowfall0.0 in0.0 in
Sunny Days208 days139 days
Summer Humidity69°F68°F
Comfortable Days74 days66 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk56.998.9
Air Quality24 AQI13 AQI
School Quality71.971.9
Violent Crime1141/100k—
Property Crime2639/100k—
Community
Population49,49147,627
Median Age48.841.5
Racial Diversity0.650.71
Male/Female Ratio0.990.94
Political LeaningD+27D+37
White (%)23.3%15.7%
Black (%)0.7%0.7%
Hispanic (%)6.0%13.2%
Asian (%)47.1%30.8%
Other / Multiracial (%)23.0%39.6%
Getting Around
Commute Time32 min20 min
Walkability10.0/206.1/20
Airport Distance13 mi216 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.6%87.0%
Amenities Nearby19.6036.95
Park & Nature AccessExcellentLimited

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is East Honolulu or Hilo more affordable?
Hilo has the lower cost of living: its index is $69k, compared with East Honolulu's $74k and Hilo's $69k. Median rent is $3k in East Honolulu versus $1k in Hilo.
Are homes cheaper in East Honolulu or Hilo?
The median home value is $1.1M in East Honolulu and $418k in Hilo, so homes are more affordable in Hilo.
See each on the map

Explore East Honolulu →Explore Hilo →

Full profiles