United States › Hawaii › Hilo CITY
Hilo Hawaii · 50,404 residents · 53.6 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Hilo is home to 50,404 people in Hawaii. At a median age of 42.7, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 9,645 more people live here than in 2000. That trails the Hawaii median by roughly 19%. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $483,000. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 73%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 896 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
36K 40K 44K 48K 52K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Hilo Age distribution, 2024
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Section 02
Income & economy $81,779
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,139 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $18,220 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 34.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 17.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.464 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 3.9%
Transportation & warehousing 3.5%
Public administration 3.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.1%
Education & health services 0.9%
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$483,000
+73%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $152,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,427
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $542 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 60.9% in 2000
33.9% rent
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.56 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 24.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 44.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 5.7 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 15.9%(6,491)
Hispanic / Latino 8.8%(3,579)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 14.3%(7,214)
Hispanic / Latino 11%(5,530)
from 88 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Asian origin
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 22 more ancestry groups with data from 24.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 85.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 8.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 69.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 9.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 60.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 73.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 33.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 14.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 7.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 72.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 87.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 90.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 83.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 39.8%(7,810)
Women 15+
Never married 32.2%(7,235)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 7.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 58.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 27.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 70.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 47.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 16.5%(449)
Gulf War (1990s) 18.3%(499)
Share of the 2,724 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Hilo Head to head
Compare Hilo to nearby cities HILO VS
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HILO VS
Waimea CDP (Hawaii County)
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HILO VS
Kailua CDP (Hawaii County)
Income $88,211 +8%
Home value $667,400 +38%
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HILO VS
Kaiminani
Income $110,560 +35%
Home value $772,800 +60%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Hilo, Hawaii? Hilo, Hawaii has about 50,404 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Hilo, Hawaii? The typical household in Hilo, Hawaii earns about $81,779 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Hilo, Hawaii expensive? In Hilo, Hawaii, the median home is worth about $483,000, and the typical rent is about $1,427 a month.
How educated are people in Hilo, Hawaii? About 34.6% of adults age 25 and over in Hilo, Hawaii hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Hilo, Hawaii? About 14.5% of people in Hilo, Hawaii live below the federal poverty line.
Has Hilo, Hawaii grown since 1990? Yes, Hilo, Hawaii has grown since 1990. The population has added about 12,676 residents, a change of about 34 percent over that period.
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