Hilo, HI

Census place 1514650 · pop 50,404

C61/ 100
😐 Meh
D−
in HI
📍 Hawaii ranks #1 of 50 states →
🏆 Prop tax0.27% · top 1%
🚽 Inequality0.49 · bottom 13%
Taxes
0.27% property · US 0.99%4.50% sales · US 7.00%up to 11.00% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Income inequality0.4913

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Natural disaster riskCounty-level98/10020

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

98/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Housing cost$483,00021

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$483,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Poverty rate14.5%36

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

14.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Broadband access91.4%49

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

91.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Adult smoking13.3%49

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

13.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Homeownership66.1%56

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

66.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Median household income$81,77958

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$81,779 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Bachelor's degree or higher34.6%59

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

34.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Physical inactivity22.6%63

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

22.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Commute time20 min73

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Poor mental health15.2%76

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

15.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Uninsured adults6.4%82

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

6.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Population growth (5yr)+11.9%84

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+11.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unemployment rateCounty-level2.7%89

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

2.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Adult obesity25.2%91

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

25.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Air quality (AQI)County-level21 AQI98

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

21 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property-tax burden0.27%99

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.27% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Not measured for Hilo: Crime, Property crime, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Hilo, HI a good place to live?
By the numbers, Hilo scores 61/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 19 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property-tax burden and its weakest is income inequality. Hawaii overall ranks #1 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Hilo, HI expensive to live in?
Hilo has a median home value of $483,000 — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Hilo, HI?
Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.49) — 13/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Hilo, HI best at?
Its strongest measured area is property-tax burden (0.27%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.