Should I Move To
Hilo, Hawaii is home to about 47,627 people. On cost of living, it lands in the moderate band — 3% below the national average. The median renter pays around $1,228 a month against a typical household income of $75,589. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 55 out of 100 (grade C), putting it at #313 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Hilo's composite cost-of-living index lands at 97 (100 = US average), which puts it in the moderate band. At $1,228/mo against $75,589 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 19% of income on housing — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Median home value sits around $417,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Hilo has a varied climate. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 16).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Hilo reads as a moderate fit for families. It earns 57/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (100/100); weakest on walkability (17/100).
Hilo reads as a moderate fit for retirees. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (100/100); weakest on walkability (17/100).
Hilo reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. It earns 65/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (100/100); weakest on walkability (17/100).
Hilo doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 38/100 (grade F) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (100/100); weakest on walkability (17/100).
Hilo, Hawaii pulls a 55/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #313 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Hilo's cost-of-living index is 97 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — 3% below the national average. Median rent runs about $1,228/mo.
Walk Score: 17/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Hilo has about 47,627 residents, 34% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 42.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Hilo head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Hilo stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Hilo with other Hawaii cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.