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
median household income $78,639, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Hilo
What changed most since 1990
Asian share52.9% → 20.2%(−32.6 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts
Homes owned by their occupants61.1% → 74.0%(+12.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
White share37.0% → 29.9%(−7.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.7%(2,237)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era49.8%(5,948)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.5%(534)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.8%(97)
US avg: 1%
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
Over time
Hilo, decade by decade
Hilo population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
120,317
$71,311
$267,368
18.5%
71.9
2000
148,677
$72,511
$283,085
22.1%
89.6
2010
185,079
$79,116
$519,899
26.6%
91.7
2020
200,629
$79,269
$441,303
29.5%
91.1
2024
205,769
$78,639
$519,300
31.4%
89.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
