Hilo, Hawaii
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 23% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade F, better than 7% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 62% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 45% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 17% of US places
- top 1% for air quality
- top 1% for property tax rate
- bottom 1% for sunny days
Hilo is a mid-size city in Hawaii with about 48,000 residents. It grades B for safety & wellbeing and F for weather. Standout strengths include air quality, property tax rate, and sales tax. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and sunny days.
Climate
Warm, humid summers · Wet
warm
48%30%clearovercast
Precipitation 14.1 in11.3 in
muggy 99%
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$76k68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$69kbetter than 6% of US places
Home Value$418k87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 25% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 23% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.25%better than 99% of US places
Income Tax11.00%better than 5% of US places
Sales Tax4.50%better than 95% of US places
Estimated total tax burden13.89%better than 21% of US places
Unemployment6.8%better than 26% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)68°F100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)73°F31st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation151.2 in100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days139 daysbetter than 1% of US places
Summer Humidity68°Fbetter than 22% of US places
Comfortable Days66 daysbetter than 18% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk98.9better than 1% of US places
Air Quality13 AQIbetter than 99% of US places
School Quality71.9better than 68% of US places
Community
Population47,62797th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age41.553rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.7199th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9439th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+376th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)15.7%6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.7%54th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)13.2%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)30.8%99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)39.6%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time20 minbetter than 87% of US places
Walkability6.1/20better than 40% of US places
Airport Distance216 mibetter than 7% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access87.0%better than 53% of US places
Amenities Nearby36.95better than 32% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 9% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Hilo an affordable place to live?
- Hilo is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $69k, better than 6% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Hilo?
- The median home value in Hilo is $418k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Hilo?
- Median household income in Hilo is $76k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Hilo?
- Median gross rent in Hilo is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the weather like in Hilo?
- Hilo averages 73°F in July and 68°F in January, with 151.2 in of annual precipitation and about 139 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Hilo?
- Public-school quality in Hilo is above average, scoring better than 68% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Hilo?
- The average one-way commute in Hilo is 20 min.
Places near Hilo
Compare Hilo
Explore Hawaii
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)