What kinds of homes are in Hilo, HI?

Name: Types of homes in Hilo, HI, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Hilo, HI has 19,265 (±687) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 359 homes per square mile of land.

77.4% are detached single-family houses.

4.4% are in buildings of two to four units.

15.7% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 19,265 (±687)
Detached houses: 77.4%
2–4 unit buildings: 4.4%
5+ unit buildings: 15.7%

Homes in Hilo by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Hilo	Hawaii County	Hawaii	United States
Single-family, detached	77.4% (±2.5 points)	77.0%	53.5%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	2.2% (±0.8 points)	3.5%	9.1%	6.2%
2 units	1.8% (±1.0 points)	1.9%	2.2%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	2.6% (±1.0 points)	2.8%	4.2%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	1.6% (±0.7 points)	4.5%	6.1%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	2.8% (±1.1 points)	4.1%	4.4%	4.3%
20 or more units	11.3% (±2.0 points)	5.4%	20.1%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.4% (±0.4 points)	0.4%	0.3%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.2 points)	0.4%	0.1%	0.1%

In Hilo, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is not measurably different from Hawaii County (14.0%).

It is also lower than in Hawaii (30.6%).

It is lower than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Hilo

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Hilo
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Hilo	—	15.7% (±2.4 points)	—
Keaau	5.0 mi	6.0% (±2.9 points)	Lower
Kurtistown	7.1 mi	0.0% (±5.0 points)	Lower
Papaikou	7.2 mi	0.2% (±8.9 points)	Lower
Hawaiian Paradise Park	10 mi	0.0% (±1.0 points)	Lower
Pepeekeo	10 mi	2.8% (±6.1 points)	Lower
Orchidlands Estates	10 mi	0.0% (±4.7 points)	Lower
Hawaiian Acres	11 mi	0.0% (±3.3 points)	Lower
Fern Acres	12 mi	2.5% (±6.9 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Keaau, HI (6.0%), Kurtistown, HI (0.0%), Papaikou, HI (0.2%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Hawaii County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Kailua (Hawaii County)	42.4% (±5.5 points)
2	Kahaluu-Keauhou	40.6% (±8.9 points)
3	Waikoloa Village	27.7% (±6.5 points)
4	Hilo	15.7% (±2.4 points)
5	Kealakekua	13.1% (±6.8 points)
6	Kaiminani	12.4% (±4.3 points)
7	Captain Cook	10.7% (±7.0 points)
8	Pahoa	6.1% (±13.4 points)
9	Keaau	6.0% (±2.9 points)
10	Waimea (Hawaii County)	2.9% (±2.8 points)

Showing 10 of 35 places in Hawaii County, ranked from highest to lowest.

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).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Hilo

How many homes are in Hilo?

Hilo, HI has an estimated 19,265 (±687) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Hilo houses or apartments?

77.4% are detached houses and 2.2% attached houses, while 20.1% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Hilo?

4.4% of homes in Hilo are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hilo CDP, Hawaii

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

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.