CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Hilo

Hawaii · 37,728 residents · 53.6 sq mi

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The short version

Hilo is home to 37,728 people in Hawaii. That trails the Hawaii median by roughly 23%. The average commute runs 16 minutes. Median home value sits at $110,000. Headcount has barely moved since 2000. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance

Average income

near the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 35.1

US median: 33.0

Average education

21% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 5%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

37,728

−7%vs 2000

vs 40,759 in 2000

1990 – 2024

Median age

35.1

−9%vs 2000

vs 38.6 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

53.6 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202450K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.8%(2,582)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 98.3%(3,147)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.8%(2,958)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 197.2%(2,732)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 245.6%(2,128)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3413.9%(5,246)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4415.8%(5,945)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5410.2%(3,848)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.7%(3,644)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.9%(3,376)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.1%(1,536)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.6%(586)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$30,014

+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $39,139 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$13,373

−27%vs 2000

vs $18,220 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

14.5%

−2.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 17.1% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$110,000

−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $152,900 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$417

+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $542 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

60.3%

−0.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 60.9% in 2000

39.7% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic15.9%(6,491)

Black0.4%(162)

Hispanic / Latino8.8%(3,579)

Asian37.4%(15,259)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic26.8%(10,100)

Black0.3%(119)

Hispanic / Latino8%(3,033)

Asian69.9%(26,369)

Other3%(1,140)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Puerto Rican4.6%(2,311)

Mexican2.9%(1,485)

Spaniard1.4%(707)

Central American0.1%(49)

South American0.1%(43)

Chilean0.1%(34)

Costa Rican0%(24)

Nicaraguan0%(15)

Salvadoran0%(10)

Colombian0%(9)

Cuban0%(6)

Asian origin

Japanese20%(10,104)

Filipino7.3%(3,666)

Chinese2%(1,033)

Vietnamese0.8%(417)

Asian Indian0.7%(328)

Korean0.6%(305)

Indonesian0.2%(83)

Thai0.1%(70)

Okinawan0.1%(49)

Burmese0.1%(34)

Cambodian0%(22)

Uzbek0%(15)

+ 3 more asian origin groups with data

Mongolian0%(9)

Taiwanese0%(6)

Malaysian0%(2)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian35%(17,635)

Samoan1.5%(773)

Marshallese0.7%(362)

Tongan0.6%(307)

Chamorro0.3%(155)

Fijian0.1%(43)

Chuukese0.1%(35)

Guamanian0%(18)

Ancestry

Portuguese6.7%(3,374)

English4.2%(2,128)

German3.8%(1,926)

Irish3.4%(1,719)

Italian2.3%(1,144)

Scottish1%(481)

Norwegian0.9%(446)

French0.8%(397)

Welsh0.6%(295)

American0.5%(244)

Dutch0.5%(236)

Swedish0.4%(209)

+ 22 more ancestry groups with data

Polish0.4%(203)

Greek0.3%(154)

Russian0.3%(145)

Scotch-Irish0.2%(119)

Swiss0.2%(80)

Lithuanian0.1%(60)

Danish0.1%(59)

Brazilian0.1%(53)

Czech0.1%(52)

French Canadian0.1%(51)

Hungarian0.1%(44)

Belgian0.1%(43)

Ukrainian0.1%(36)

Croatian0.1%(34)

British0.1%(30)

Australian0.1%(27)

Finnish0%(24)

Slovene0%(22)

Subsaharan African0%(22)

Slovak0%(20)

Canadian0%(18)

Austrian0%(12)

RANKED:Largest Native Hawaiian population · Largest Japanese population · Largest Filipino population · Largest Portuguese population · Largest Puerto Rican population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

20.9%

−3.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 24.3% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

79.2%

−6.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 85.9% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

5.7%

−2.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 8.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

16.0 min

+31%vs 2000

vs 12.2 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married39.8%(7,810)

Married50%(9,798)

Widowed2.5%(493)

Divorced7.7%(1,502)

Women 15+

Never married32.2%(7,235)

Married42.4%(9,524)

Widowed12.9%(2,894)

Divorced12.5%(2,814)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

2.9%

−4.2 ptssince 2013

from 7.1% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

63.6%

+5.6 ptssince 2020

from 58.0% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

16.6%

+1.3 ptssince 2020

from 15.3% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

23.6%

+1.4 ptssince 2020

from 22.2% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

23.4%

−4.3 ptssince 2020

from 27.7% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.3%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 2.5% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

74.1%

+4.1 ptssince 2020

from 70.0% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

43.6%

−3.4 ptssince 2020

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)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)18.3%(499)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era41.9%(1,141)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War9.7%(265)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.2%(5)

US avg: 1%

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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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