MICROPOLITAN AREA
Hilo Micro
Hilo-Kailua, HI · 1 counties · 210,043 residents (2025 est.) · 4,028 sq mi
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The short version
With 205,769 people, Hilo is a metro area. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. At a median age of 44.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 57,092 more people live here than in 2000. Owners hold 74% of the housing stock. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $519,300.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 83%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
205,769
+38%since 2000
from 148,677 in 2000
210,043 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
4,028 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024206K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(10,592)
5 to 95.7%(11,784)
10 to 146.3%(12,879)
15 to 195.4%(11,154)
20 to 244.8%(9,782)
25 to 3411.1%(22,748)
35 to 4412.7%(26,170)
45 to 5411.5%(23,748)
55 to 6413.6%(27,911)
65 to 7414.8%(30,489)
75 to 846.7%(13,738)
85 and over2.3%(4,774)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$78,639
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,805 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
52.2%
+17.5 ptssince 2009
from 34.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.7%
Wholesale trade8.7%
Other services5.9%
Finance & insurance4.3%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.4%
Construction3.4%
Retail trade2.7%
Public administration2.4%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
Education & health services0.7%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$519,300
+83%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $155,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
6.6
Unchangedsince 2009
from 6.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
20
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic29.7%(44,223)
Black0.4%(602)
Hispanic / Latino9.5%(14,111)
Asian25.8%(38,378)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic29.9%(61,616)
Black0.8%(1,590)
Hispanic / Latino11.7%(24,003)
Asian20.2%(41,595)
Other37.4%(76,965)
89
−1%since 2009
from 90 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
31
+13%since 2020
from 27 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican4.4%(9,105)
Mexican3.7%(7,592)
Spaniard0.8%(1,742)
South American0.4%(916)
Central American0.4%(758)
Chilean0.2%(375)
Guatemalan0.1%(289)
Colombian0.1%(238)
Honduran0.1%(202)
Argentine0.1%(174)
Cuban0.1%(169)
Dominican0.1%(145)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.1%(104)
Peruvian0.1%(104)
Nicaraguan0%(69)
Panamanian0%(51)
Costa Rican0%(43)
Ecuadorian0%(13)
Venezuelan0%(8)
Bolivian0%(4)
Asian origin
Japanese8.5%(17,516)
Filipino7.8%(16,114)
Chinese1.4%(2,808)
Korean0.4%(790)
Vietnamese0.3%(659)
Asian Indian0.2%(433)
Thai0.2%(369)
Indonesian0.1%(191)
Okinawan0.1%(173)
Hmong0%(53)
Cambodian0%(42)
Burmese0%(34)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian30.8%(63,390)
Samoan1.5%(3,138)
Marshallese1.3%(2,776)
Tongan0.4%(779)
Chamorro0.2%(462)
Fijian0.1%(131)
Chuukese0.1%(114)
Guamanian0%(56)
Ancestry
German8.1%(16,638)
English8%(16,379)
Irish6%(12,411)
Portuguese6%(12,371)
Italian2.5%(5,059)
French1.5%(3,078)
Scottish1.4%(2,955)
Norwegian1.4%(2,784)
American1.1%(2,215)
Dutch1%(2,112)
Swedish1%(2,015)
Polish0.9%(1,818)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.7%(1,525)
Russian0.6%(1,193)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(1,021)
Swiss0.4%(815)
British0.3%(708)
Danish0.3%(662)
Austrian0.3%(632)
Ukrainian0.3%(541)
Czech0.2%(455)
French Canadian0.2%(451)
Hungarian0.2%(425)
Finnish0.2%(414)
Iranian0.2%(377)
Greek0.2%(354)
Subsaharan African0.2%(353)
West Indian0.2%(352)
Arab0.2%(351)
Lithuanian0.1%(288)
Canadian0.1%(282)
Romanian0.1%(175)
Haitian0.1%(171)
Armenian0.1%(145)
Australian0.1%(125)
Slovak0.1%(120)
Belgian0.1%(118)
Lebanese0.1%(115)
Croatian0.1%(112)
Slovene0%(97)
Brazilian0%(94)
Syrian0%(75)
Jamaican0%(75)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(67)
Egyptian0%(41)
Latvian0%(37)
Ghanaian0%(29)
Palestinian0%(21)
Nigerian0%(12)
Moroccan0%(11)
Israeli0%(11)
Ethiopian0%(6)
Macedonian0%(5)
Barbadian0%(5)
Serbian0%(4)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
93.2%
+8.6 ptssince 2000
from 84.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 72.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.5%
+5.1 ptssince 2020
from 90.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36%(30,236)
Married50.9%(42,785)
Widowed2.9%(2,419)
Divorced10.2%(8,582)
Women 15+
Never married29.5%(25,491)
Married47.6%(41,169)
Widowed10%(8,632)
Divorced12.9%(11,200)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
15.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 13.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 65.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
48.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 46.8% 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)15.1%(1,799)
Gulf War (1990s)18.7%(2,237)
Vietnam era49.8%(5,948)
Korean War4.5%(534)
World War II0.8%(97)
Share of the 11,933 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
In this metro
Largest cities
HiloCENTRAL50,404Kailua CDP (Hawaii County)CENTRAL21,818Hawaiian Paradise Park13,203Kaiminani11,465Waimea CDP (Hawaii County)9,286Waikoloa7,543Kahaluu-Keauhou5,150Hawaiian Ocean View4,431Ainaloa4,094Hawaiian Beaches3,947Hawaiian Acres3,872Mountain View3,756Holualoa3,434Captain Cook3,419Kurtistown3,151Orchidlands Estates3,027Honaunau-Napoopoo2,629Kapaau2,224Hawi2,070Pepeekeo2,056Honokaa1,963Kealakekua1,919Pahala1,768Nanawale Estates1,692Leilani Estates1,490Fern Acres1,480Keaau1,436Kaloko1,432Pahoa1,361Papaikou1,332
The 30 most populous of 54 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
1 component county
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HILO VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Hilo-Kailua, HI?
Hilo-Kailua, HI has about 205,769 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Hilo-Kailua, HI?
The typical household in Hilo-Kailua, HI earns about $78,639 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Hilo-Kailua, HI expensive?
In Hilo-Kailua, HI, the median home is worth about $519,300, and the typical rent is about $1,510 a month.
How educated are people in Hilo-Kailua, HI?
About 31.4% of adults age 25 and over in Hilo-Kailua, HI hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Hilo-Kailua, HI?
About 14.9% of people in Hilo-Kailua, HI live below the federal poverty line.
Has Hilo-Kailua, HI grown since 1990?
Yes, Hilo-Kailua, HI has grown since 1990. The population has added about 85,452 residents, a change of about 71 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024