Hilo and Kailua are places in Hawaii. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Hilo has the higher population (48,223 vs 21,851 in Kailua). Kailua has the higher median household income ($86,743 vs $78,713 in Hilo). Kailua has the higher median home value ($649,400 vs $455,100 in Hilo).
Population, income & housing
| Hilo | Kailua | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,223 | 21,851 |
| Median age | 42.6 yrs | 42.2 yrs |
| Median household income | $78,713 | $86,743 |
| Median home value | $455,100 | $649,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,347 | $1,747 |
| Housing units | 18,905 | 10,009 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.5% | 66.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.0% | 33.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 4.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Hilo | Kailua | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,056 → 48,223 (+7.0%) | 15,231 → 21,851 (+43.5%) |
| Median household income | $63,283 → $78,713 (+24.4%) | $72,267 → $86,743 (+20.0%) |
| Median home value | $329,200 → $455,100 (+38.2%) | $461,900 → $649,400 (+40.6%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,045 → $1,347 (+28.9%) | $1,208 → $1,747 (+44.6%) |
Hilo
45,05648,223
$63,283$78,713
$329,200$455,100
$1,045$1,347
Kailua
15,23121,851
$72,267$86,743
$461,900$649,400
$1,208$1,747
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Hilo | Kailua | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 3.8% | 5.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.6% | 14.7% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.4% | 6.6% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.7% | 15.2% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 11.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 11.5% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.8% | 15.9% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.2% | 11.9% |
| 75 and over | 10.5% | 7.4% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Hilo | Kailua | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 15.6% | 41.4% |
| Black or African American | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 31.5% | 18.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 13.1% | 14.3% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 27.1% | 19.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.4% | 6.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Hilo | Kailua | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.3% | 8.0% |
| High school graduate | 27.6% | 27.9% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.0% | 30.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 21.1% | 20.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 12.9% | 13.3% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Hilo | Kailua | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 70.8% | 60.7% |
| Carpooled | 15.1% | 22.0% |
| Public transit | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 2.8% | 3.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 8.5% | 10.7% |
| Other means | 1.4% | 2.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Hilo | Kailua | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 77.9% | 46.8% |
| 1-unit, attached | 2.5% | 1.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.1% | 9.3% |
| 5 to 19 units | 4.6% | 25.9% |
| 20 or more units | 10.6% | 16.2% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Poverty & households
| Hilo | Kailua | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.1% | 13.4% |
| Average household size | 2.74 | 2.81 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 20 | 22 |
| Median year structure built | 1978 | 1985 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
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- Most densely populated — cities in Hawaii
- Highest median household income — cities in Hawaii
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