Hawaii County · Hawaii · West · 50k residents
Hilo, HI: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Hilo: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Hawaii median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,188/wk. Hawaii's corporate income tax rate is 6.4%. Commercial electricity averages 38.2¢/kWh.
Compare Hilo side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,188/wk
Corporate income tax
6.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher
34.6%
Commercial electricity
38.2¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Hilo's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
44/100
Steady
Ranks Hilo's jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $483,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $640 |
| Property tax rate | 0.3% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $946/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,318/mo |
| State & local income tax | 6.13% |
| Sales tax | 4.5% |
| Corporate income tax | 6.4% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,188/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.6% |
| Commercial electricity | 38.2¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 35.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $124,040 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $136,320 |
| Wage: General manager | $108,180 |
| Wage: Customer service | $45,650 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $39,300 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $59,820 |
| Wage: Electrician | $96,460 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $37,790 |
| Cost of living index | 116 |
| Groceries index | 125 |
| Utilities | $280/mo |
| Transit pass | $80/mo |
| Gas price | $4.70/gal |
| Healthcare index | 110 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,350/mo |
| Median household income | $81,779 |
| Unemployment rate | 3% |
| Population | 50k |
| Crime index | 45/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 34/100 |
| Disaster risk | 99/100 |
| Avg. commute | 27 min |
| Sunny days / year | 240 days |
| July high | 83°F |
| January low | 64°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +3.5% |
| Home price MoM | +0.4% |
| Rent YoY | — |
| Rent MoM | +3.3% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.1% |
| Building permits YoY | — |
| Ocean coast | < 3 mi |
| Big lake | 2341 mi |
| Mountains | 26 mi |
| Major airport | 3 mi |
| Ski resort | 2463 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Kihei, HI · 22k
- Kahului, HI · 28k
- Wailuku, HI · 17k
- East Honolulu, HI · 51k
- Honolulu, HI · 345k
Similar size
- Pearl City, HI · 45k
- Waipahu, HI · 40k
- Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), HI · 40k
- Kaneohe, HI · 37k
- Mililani Town, HI · 28k
Real listings in Hilo
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Hilo a good place to run a business?
- Hawaii's corporate income tax rate is 6.4%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,188/wk; commercial electricity averages 38.2¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Hilo, HI?
- Hilo indexes at 116 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,318/mo and a acs median home value of $483,000.
- How much does a house cost in Hilo?
- The acs median home value in Hilo is $483,000 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Hilo?
- A two-bedroom in Hilo rents for about $1,318/mo.