Wetter than anywhere else in the country, Hilo is the county seat of the Big Island of Hawaii, and the rain explains the lush green and the waterfalls tucked around town. It is the quieter, older side of the island compared with Kona, with a downtown of low wooden storefronts, a big farmers market, and orchids everywhere. Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls are close, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is about 30 miles away, and the Merrie Monarch hula festival fills the town each spring.
About 44,000 people live here, and it feels local rather than resort-like. Costs are above the mainland average, and homes are pricey with limited supply. Expect frequent rain, some volcanic haze on bad days, and real hazards: tsunami zones along the bay, hurricane season, and strong surf and currents. Car break-ins happen at trailheads and beach parks, so leave nothing visible.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- Rainiest city in the US; Gateway to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; Orchid Capital; Big Island's county seat
- Founded
- Native Hawaiian settlement long predating the 1800s; missionary station 1824; unincorporated (Hawaii County seat since 1905)
- Languages
- English; Hawaiian (official state language, cultural use); Hawaii Creole English (Pidgin); Ilocano; Japanese
- Airports
- Hilo International (ITO), about 3 mi from downtown, inter-island flights on Hawaiian, Southwest and Mokulele plus some Honolulu connections; Kona International (KOA) about 75 mi and 1.5 to 2 hours by car, main mainland gateway
- Tipping
- Restaurants 15-20% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink; taxis/rideshare 10-15%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $1-2 per bag; tour guides 10-20%; casual/counter service tipping optional
About this data
Hilo is a census-designated place (CDP), so no annual Census estimate exists; population_city is the 2020 Census count (44,186). population_metro is Hawaii County (Hilo micropolitan area), Census July 1, 2025 estimate 210,043. area_km2 converts 53.62 sq mi CDP land area (Census QuickFacts). Elevation, coordinates, founding and cost-of-living index are from general knowledge and not re-verified; cost-of-living index is approximate. Hotel averages from BudgetYourTrip; rent from Apartments.com and Census; prices from Zillow (Aug 2026). Crime from NeighborhoodScout 2024. Events and months from LoveBigIsland, GoHawaii and Merrie Monarch site. Airport distances approximate. visitor_website and event_calendar loaded on gohawaii.com (discoverhilo.com could not be fetched because of robots restrictions).
