Residential comparison · 13 facts
Hilo, HI vs Honolulu, HI
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Hilo needs about $104,500 in Honolulu to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Honolulu, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $65,500 in Hilo.
A few differences
- Hilo is lower on groceries index (125 vs 128).
- Honolulu is higher on median household income ($85,000 vs $81,779).
- Hilo is lower on unemployment rate (3% vs 3.1%).
Hilo vs Honolulu · facet by facet
| Facet | Hilo, HI | Honolulu, HI |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $483,000 | $800,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,318/mo | $2,900/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| State & local income tax | 6.13% | 6.13% |
| Sales tax | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Cost of living index | 116 | 170 |
| Groceries index | 125 | 128 |
| Utilities | $280/mo | $290/mo |
| Median household income | $81,779 | $85,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3% | 3.1% |
| Crime index | 45/100 | 40/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 240 days | 271 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Hilo, HI · Honolulu, HI
Questions & answers
- Is Hilo cheaper than Honolulu?
- Hilo has the lower day-to-day cost index (116 vs 170 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Honolulu equals $85,000 in Hilo?
- A household earning $85,000 in Hilo needs about $104,500 in Honolulu to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Honolulu lifestyle costs about $65,500 in Hilo.