?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Hilo, HI vs Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), 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 $106,500 in Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $64,000 in Hilo.

A few differences

Hilo vs Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) · facet by facet
FacetHilo, HIKailua CDP (Honolulu County), HI
Median home price$483,000$1,353,700
2-bedroom rent$1,318/mo$2,892/mo
Property tax rate0.3%0.3%
State & local income tax6.13%6.13%
Sales tax4.5%4.5%
Cost of living index116187
Groceries index125125
Utilities$280/mo$280/mo
Median household income$81,779$148,582
Unemployment rate3%3%
Crime index45/10045/100
School rating5.5/105.5/10
Sunny days / year240 days240 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 · Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), HI
Questions & answers
Is Hilo cheaper than Kailua CDP (Honolulu County)?
Hilo has the lower day-to-day cost index (116 vs 187 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) equals $85,000 in Hilo?
A household earning $85,000 in Hilo needs about $106,500 in Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) lifestyle costs about $64,000 in Hilo.