Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety59#384/924
Economy52#444/925
Housing19#751/925
Health80#182/925
Healthcare73#249/923
Environment—
Education70#278/925
Infrastructure49#468/925
Community35#604/925
Leisure & amenities80#185/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Firearm deaths · low4.8 /100k
98/100Hawaii 3.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.35%
96/100Hawaii 0.29%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Unemployment rate · low2.7%
96/100Hawaii 2.4%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Adult obesity · low27.5%
95/100Hawaii 26.2%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · low15 mi
91/100Hawaii 10 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · low1,769 /100k
89/100Hawaii 1,752 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an Amtrak station · high2,343 mi
0/100Hawaii 2,391 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · high24.2%
3/100Hawaii 26.1%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high6.6×
4/100Hawaii 8.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Average commute time · high27.4 min
10/100Hawaii 26.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Income adjusted for local prices · low$54,236
10/100Hawaii $64,592United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Aggregated from counties
Social associations · low6.8 /10k
11/100Hawaii 6.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
77.5% (2015-2019) → 91.1% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drought exposureWorsening
23% (2021) → 35% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+11 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
66.4% (2010 & 2021) → 76.7% (2022 & 2024)
+10 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Unemployment rateImproving
12.1% (2020) → 2.7% (2025)
−9.4 pts5 yearsUS 8.1% → 4.3%
Arts, entertainment and recreationImproving
5.0 /10k (2020) → 7.2 /10k (2025)
+44%5 yearsUS 4.8 /10k → 5.5 /10k
Firearm deathsImproving
8.3 /100k (2021) → 4.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−42%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area improved on 16 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 8 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Unemployment−9.4 points12.1% → 2.7%
Arts & recreation+44%5.0 /10k → 7.2 /10k
Broadband+14 points77.5% → 91.1%
Traffic deaths−21%14.5 /100k → 11.5 /100k
Homicides−63%6.5 /100k → 2.4 /100k

Declined4

Overdose deaths+57%11.0 /100k → 17.3 /100k
Price / income+1.0×5.6× → 6.6×
Pharmacies−21%1.7 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Transit use−0.6 points1.3% → 0.7%

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.0 /10k2020	7.2 /10k2025	+44%	Improved	95%
Average commute time	26.1 min2015-2019	27.4 min2020-2024	+1.3 min	Within the margin of error	24%
Average weekly wage	$9362020	$1,1882025	+27%	Improved	79%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.4%2015-2019	31.4%2020-2024	+2 points	Improved	31%
Broadband subscriptions	77.5%2015-2019	91.1%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	87%
Child poverty rate	22.9%2015-2019	18.2%2020-2024	−4.7 points	Improved	73%
Distance to an airport	15 mi2020	15 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	11.0 /100k2020	17.3 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+57%	Declined	7%
Effective property tax rate	0.35%2015-2019	0.35%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Firearm deaths	6.4 /100k2020	4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−25%	Improved	88%
Grocery stores	1.8 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+3.3%	Little change	63%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	73%
High school diploma or higher	92.3%2015-2019	93.2%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Home price to income ratio	5.6×2015-2019	6.6×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	11%
Homicide rate	6.5 /100k2020	2.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−63%	Improved	87%
Income adjusted for local prices	$39,8552019	$54,2362024	+36%	Improved	77%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4712015-2019	0.4802020-2024	+0.010	Within the margin of error	29%
Median household income	$62,4092015-2019	$78,6392020-2024	+26%	Improved	45%
New business applications	12.0 /1k2020	14.3 /1k2025	+20%	Improved	16%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−21%	Declined	18%
Poverty rate	15.6%2015-2019	14.9%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Property crime rate	2,002 /100k2020	1,875 /100k2025	−6.3%	Improved	10%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−3.3%	Little change	35%
Public transit commuters	1.3%2015-2019	0.7%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Declined	29%
Rent as share of income	29.6%2015-2019	30.7%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Rent-burdened households	49.2%2015-2019	51.6%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Restaurants and bars	10.3 /10k2020	11.2 /10k2025	+9.5%	Improved	78%
Suicide rate	16.4 /100k2020	15.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−6.1%	Improved	72%
Traffic deaths	14.5 /100k2015-2019	11.5 /100k2020-2024	−21%	Improved	89%
Unemployment rate	12.1%2020	2.7%2025	−9.4 points	Improved	100%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.1%2015-2019	5.7%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Violent crime rate	305 /100k2020	302 /100k2025	−0.7%	Little change	27%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area itself moved +4 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

205,769 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

74,072 households (±842)

Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%12,906
$25k–50k15%11,039
$50k–75k16%11,492

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

74,072 households (±842)

Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area
United States share

Own74%54,795
Rent26%19,277

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+6.2 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

86,392 workers (±1,555)

Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone68%58,954
Carpool15%12,816
Public transit0.7%590

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Hilo-Kailua, HI has 4,400 employer establishments, 212 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248), with 54,716 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,490. The Census Bureau also counts 20,503 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 4,400; 20,503 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 212; US 248
Paid employees: 54,716
Average annual pay: $51,490; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Hilo-Kailua, HI by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	407	19.6	1.07×About typical	6,330	$30,446	124
Ambulatory health care services	356	17.2	0.82×About typical	3,456	$57,352	1,144
Specialty trade contractors	275	13.3	0.86×About typical	1,981	$68,732	1,196
Lessors of real estate	224	10.8	0.88×About typical	1,236	$65,887	1,968
Full-service restaurants	177	8.5	1.11×About typical	3,559	$34,477	46
Services to buildings and dwellings	176	8.5	1.26×More than typical	867	$41,915	1,898
Limited-service restaurants	165	8	0.99×About typical	2,068	$25,143	46
Construction of buildings	147	7.1	0.94×About typical	784	$70,531	785
Building equipment contractors	116	5.6	0.93×About typical	822	$66,726	214
Clothing and accessories stores	115	5.5	1.53×More than typical	987	$24,538	289
Offices of physicians	100	4.8	0.74×Fewer than typical	479	$61,495	196
Offices of other health practitioners	98	4.7	0.78×Fewer than typical	346	$48,396	672

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 207,476 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $13.2M on contracts performed in Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area: $62.61 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $13.2M; −50% vs FY2025
Per resident: $62.61; US $1,995
Sole-source: 12%; US 30%
Single offer: 35%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Park Service$3.6M27%
Federal Highway Administration$2.6M20%
Defense Logistics Agency$2.5M19%
Agricultural Research Service$1.8M13%
Department of the Army$1.2M9.3%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$707.2K5.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs$578.8K4.4%
Smithsonian Institution$564.9K4.3%

Top recipients

GOODFELLOW BROS, LLC$2.6M20%
HILO PRODUCTS, INC.$1.2M8.8%
MEADOW GOLD DAIRIES HAWAII LLC$997.2K7.6%
GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC$478.7K3.6%
AECOM TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC.$454.4K3.5%

Spending by fiscal year

55.6MFY2017
49.9MFY2018
21.1MFY2019
45.4MFY2020
47.4MFY2021
89.3MFY2022
114.8MFY2023
74.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$2.6M20%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$2.2M16%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$1.4M11%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$1.4M11%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1.3M9.6%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617

Largest awards

THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF W9124J-17-C-0005, AWARDED ON JAN 23, 2017, DUE TO THE TRANSFER OF CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION. THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE IS OCT 1, 2016 TO FEB 28, 2029 (149 MONTHS).$29.3M
PURAL WATER SPECIALTY CO. , INC.· Hawaii County, HI· Facilities & utilities· Mar 17, 2021 – Jun 2, 2026· SP060021C8345
HI STP SR11(2) NINOLE STREAM BRIDGE AND HI STP SR11(1) HILEA STREAM BRIDGE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION$20.1M
HAWAIIAN DREDGING CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC· Hawaii County, HI· Construction & real property· Apr 9, 2018 – Aug 3, 2026· 6982AF18C000020
HAVO 305150 DEMOLISH AND REPLACE VOLCANO DISASTER DAMAGED FACILITIES AT UEKAHUNA BLUFF AND JAGGAR MUSEUM & HAVO 315026 REALIGN CRATER RIM DRIVE AND EXPAND ENTRANCE STATION TO IMPROVE VISITOR SAFETY AT HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, ISLAND OF HAW$18.4M
GOODFELLOW-SUN JV, LLC· Hawaii County, HI· Construction & real property

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.5B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area: $7,176 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.5B; −4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,176; US $12,957
Loan face value: $66M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$983.9M65%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$133.8M8.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$83.2M5.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$65M4.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$39M2.6%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$36.8M2.4%
20.933 · National Infrastructure Investments$17.6M1.2%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$16.5M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

THE STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$69M4.6%
HONOLULU, HI
COUNTY OF HAWAII$40.7M2.7%
HILO, HI
STATE OF HAWAII, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$6.9M0.5%
HONOLULU, HI
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEMS$6.7M0.4%
HILO, HI
WEST HAWAII COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.2B78%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$149.7M9.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$72M4.8%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$37.4M2.5%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

1.5BFY2021
1.3BFY2022
1.4BFY2023
1.5BFY2024
1.6BFY2025
1.5BFY2026

County aggregates

88%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Hilo-Kailua, HI

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Hawaii CountyCentral county58210,043

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Hawaii

Areas based in Hawaii, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M25900

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Hilo-Kailua, HI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Hawaii

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought