City safety & data profile

HiloHI

Hilo, HI is a 43K-resident city in Hawaii County with a median household income of $81,779.

Hawaii County, Hawaii. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Hilo, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Hilo has a population larger than 76% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $483,000, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-27

43K
Population
Top 24%
By size
$81,779
Median income
$483,000
Median home
14.5%
Poverty rate

The read on Hilo

Hilo posts a median household income higher than 51% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Hilo area.

Top 49%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Hilo

Where Hilo income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$81,779 Top 49% higher than 51% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. HI $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Hilo, HI beyond the headline numbers

Hilo sits inside Hawaii County, Hawaii, at roughly 19.73°N, -155.09°W. Population 43,263, $81,779 median household income. Median home value $483,000, median rent $1,427. Poverty rate 14.5%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Hilo's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 38.8%, then high blood pressure at 29.9%. 1 hospital in/around Hilo, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Hilo from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
43,263
Hilo
Median Income
$81,779
+20% vs avg
Median Home Value
$483,000
+112% vs avg
Median Age
42.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Hawaii County) - Hilo's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
206K+10%
Median Income
$78,639+53%
Median Home Value
$519,300+68%
Poverty Rate
14.9%-19%
Unemployment
6%-44%

Economics

Economics indicators for Hilo, HI
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,427/mo
Poverty Rate
14.5%
Unemployment 6.8%
Bachelor's Degree+ 34.6%
Work From Home 8.9%
Public Transit 0.9%

Population

White 14.9%
African American 0.7%
Asian 34.8%
Two or More Ethnicities 38.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
38.8%
High Blood Pressure
29.9%
Obesity
25.2%
Physical Inactivity
22.6%
Binge Drinking
16.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
15.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
14%
Current Smoking
13.3%
Diabetes
12.8%
Current Asthma
10.6%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 62.5%
Annual Checkup 75.4%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
7.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
6.4%
Stroke
4.2%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
HILO BENIOFF MEDICAL CENTER
HILO · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Hilo, HI? ▼
Hilo, HI has a population of 43,263 people, located in Hawaii County, Hawaii.
What is the median household income in Hilo? ▼
The median household income in Hilo, HI is $81,779 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 14.5%.
What is the median home value in Hilo? ▼
The median home value in Hilo, HI is $483,000. Median rent is $1,427/month.
What are the top health concerns in Hilo? ▼
The top health indicators in Hilo include Short Sleep Duration (38.8%), High Blood Pressure (29.9%), Obesity (25.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Hilo? ▼
Hilo has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Hilo? ▼
The median age in Hilo, HI is 42.7 years. 34.6% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Hilo, HI is located in Hawaii County, Hawaii. With a population of 43K and a $81,779 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Hilo area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Hawaii

Real-time AQI for every monitored Hawaii location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Hawaiian Paradise Park, HI 11K Kailua-Kona, HI 12K Kihei, HI 21K Kahului, HI 26K Wailuku, HI 15K Lahaina, HI 12K Hawai'i Kai, HI 31K East Honolulu, HI 50K
All cities in Hawaii → Compare Hilo vs Hawaiian Paradise Park → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Hilo's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Hilo area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Hilo against Hawaii peers on any ranking lens. Explore Hawaii

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Hawaii County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.