Housing data for Hilo, HI
Hilo, HI has an estimated 50,404 residents and 19,265 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Hawaii County.
33.9% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,427 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+11.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 50,404 (±2,228)
- Housing units
- 19,265 (±687)
- Households that rent
- 33.9%
- Median gross rent
- $1,427
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +11.9%
What stands out in Hilo
Homes built before 1980: 54.0% (±4.1 points) in Hilo, higher than in Hawaii County (34.1%).
Households without a vehicle: 8.9% (±1.8 points) in Hilo, higher than in Hawaii County (4.8%).
Households that rent: 33.9% (±2.7 points) in Hilo, higher than in Hawaii County (26.0%).
Rental vacancy rate: 6.5% (±2.7 points) in Hilo, lower than in Hawaii County (10.6%).
Housing in Hilo at a glance
- Median rent: $1,427 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,318 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 54.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 33.9% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $81,779 median household income
- Home values: $483,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,060 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,294 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 15.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 70.6% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 54.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 6.5% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 52.1% use no heating fuel
- Commute and cars: 20.3 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +11.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 20.9% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 6.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Hilo against Hawaii County, its state and the nation
| Hilo | Hawaii County | Hawaii | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 50,404 (±2,228) | 205,769 (exact) | 1,445,235 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 19,265 (±687) | 90,735 (±123) | 567,896 (±229) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 33.9% (±2.7 points) | 26.0% (±1.2 points) | 37.0% (±0.6 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,427 (±$89) | $1,510 (±$66) | $1,971 (±$23) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $81,779 (±$7,098) | $78,639 (±$2,560) | $100,389 (±$1,121) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $483,000 (±$14,775) | $519,300 (±$16,515) | $839,100 (±$5,924) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,294 (±$126) | $1,459 (±$51) | $2,239 (±$31) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 54.0% (±4.1 points) | 34.1% (±1.5 points) | 50.5% (±0.6 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 20.3 minutes (±1.4) | 27.4 minutes (±0.9) | 26.2 minutes (±0.2) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.4% (±1.6 points) | 91.1% (±0.9 points) | 92.0% (±0.3 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 42.7 years (±1.3) | 44.3 years (±0.2) | 40.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Hilo covers 53.6 square miles of land, about 940 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Hilo has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 45,056 (±1,611) | 50,404 (±2,228) | +11.9% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 18,358 (±355) | 19,265 (±687) | +4.9% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,045 (±$52) | $1,427 (±$89) | +36.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $329,200 (±$9,414) | $483,000 (±$14,775) | +46.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $63,283 (±$2,355) | $81,779 (±$7,098) | +29.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,570 (±$57) | $2,060 (±$116) | +31.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $880 (±$60) | $1,294 (±$126) | +47.0% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 39.3% (±2.3 points) | 33.9% (±2.7 points) | −5.4 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.5% (±2.4 points) | 6.5% (±2.7 points) | +1.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Hawaii County
Hilo has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Hawaii County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Hawaii County recorded 287 violent and 1,924 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Hilo
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96720 | 19% | 52,979 | $1,428 | $485,400 | $80,938 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Hilo
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keaau | 5.0 mi | $827 | $332,900 | 39.1% |
| Kurtistown | 7.1 mi | $1,406 | $448,600 | 12.1% |
| Papaikou | 7.2 mi | $1,495 | $434,300 | 29.5% |
| Hawaiian Paradise Park | 10 mi | $1,310 | $457,100 | 26.3% |
| Pepeekeo | 10 mi | $750 | $463,400 | 41.5% |
| Orchidlands Estates | 10 mi | $1,398 | $385,900 | 14.8% |
| Hawaiian Acres | 11 mi | $1,351 | $318,400 | 16.4% |
| Fern Acres | 12 mi | $1,375 | $319,800 | 15.8% |
Places in Hawaii most like Hilo
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanamaulu | $1,652 | $687,500 | $82,358 | 33.2% |
| Kahului | $1,488 | $862,600 | $98,077 | 35.3% |
| Papaikou | $1,495 | $434,300 | $79,079 | 29.5% |
| Lanai City | $1,051 | $630,000 | $92,167 | 47.0% |
| Wailuku | $1,762 | $855,700 | $102,942 | 29.4% |
| Kaunakakai | $879 | $368,100 | $76,131 | 39.8% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Hawaii.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Hilo, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,605 | $1,615 | $2,081 | $2,620 | $2,910 |
HUD income limits for Hilo, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,450 | $42,350 | $67,800 |
| 2 people | $29,050 | $48,400 | $77,450 |
| 3 people | $32,700 | $54,450 | $87,150 |
| 4 people | $37,950 | $60,500 | $96,800 |
| 5 people | $44,480 | $65,350 | $104,550 |
| 6 people | $51,010 | $70,200 | $112,300 |
| 7 people | $57,540 | $75,050 | $120,050 |
| 8 people | $64,070 | $79,900 | $127,800 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Hawaii County, HI, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $98,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Hilo is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Hilo
What is the average rent in Hilo, HI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Hilo is $1,427 (±$89) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Hilo?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Hilo, HI is $946 (±$204) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Hilo rent-burdened?
54.1% of renting households in Hilo pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Hilo?
Hilo has an estimated 6,014 (±590) renting households, 33.9% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Hilo?
The median household income in Hilo is $81,779 (±$7,098) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Hilo, HI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $483,000 (±$14,775) for owner-occupied homes in Hilo (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Hilo growing?
In Hilo, the number of residents went from 45,056 in 2015–2019 to 50,404 in 2020–2024 (+11.9%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Hilo?
The ZIP code that covers Hilo is 96720.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 96720?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 96720 is $1,428 (±$87) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hilo CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hilo CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hilo CDP, Hawaii
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hilo CDP, Hawaii
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hilo CDP, Hawaii
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Hilo CDP, Hawaii
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Hilo CDP, Hawaii
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Hawaii County, HI
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Hawaii County, HI
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Hilo CDP, Hawaii (place:14650, in state:15).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .