Explore Hilo Real Estate – Your Gateway to Island Living

Hilo Real Estate Guide

Hilo is the Big Island's county seat and its oldest town, sitting on the rainy windward coast where lush rainforest meets Hilo Bay. It's the anti-resort side of Hawaii: no mega-hotels, no chain-dominated strip malls, just a working town with deep roots, a thriving arts scene, and some of the most dramatic natural beauty in the Pacific. If Kona is sunshine and sport fishing, Hilo is waterfalls, orchids, and farmers markets in the rain.

What to Love About Hilo

• Lush, green everything. The rain keeps this side of the island impossibly tropical year-round.
• A genuine local town with no tourist veneer. What you see is what you get.
• Proximity to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (about 45 minutes south)
• The University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College bring youthful energy and cultural programming
• A thriving farmers market (the Hilo Farmers Market is one of the best in the state)
• Significantly more affordable real estate than Kona or the resort coast
• Waterfalls within minutes of town: Rainbow Falls, Pe'epe'e Falls, Akaka Falls
• A strong arts and music community with galleries, live performances, and festivals throughout the year

Real Estate and Homes

Hilo's housing stock reflects its history as a plantation town turned county seat. The range is wide, from century-old plantation cottages in the historic districts to newer subdivisions carved from former sugarcane land south of town.

Here's the thing: Hilo real estate operates on a completely different wavelength than Kona or the Kohala Coast. There's no resort premium here. Buyers get significantly more house and land for their money, and the pace of the market is slower. Properties can sit longer, and there's less competition from vacation rental investors.

Key Neighborhoods and Areas

Downtown Hilo / Bayfront: The historic commercial core along Kamehameha Avenue. Residential options here are limited, mostly older apartments and a few homes on side streets. The bayfront area was devastated by tsunamis in 1946 and 1960, so much of the low-lying zone was converted to parks and open space rather than rebuilt for housing.

Reed's Island: A quiet, elevated neighborhood just above downtown along the Wailuku River. Older homes on generous lots, many with views of the river gorge and Rainbow Falls. This is one of Hilo's most desirable residential pockets. Expect mature tropical landscaping, character homes from the mid-20th century, and a sense of privacy despite being minutes from town.

Puainako / Waiakea: The commercial growth corridor along Puainako Street and Kanoelehua Avenue, home to Prince Kuhio Plaza, Walmart, and most of Hilo's big-box retail. Residential areas nearby include Waiakea Uka and Waiakea Homesteads, with single-family homes on moderate lots. Practical and convenient, if not scenic.

Pepe'ekeo: A small former plantation village about 10 minutes north of Hilo along the old Hamakua Coast highway. Quiet, residential, with older homes and some newer construction. Known for its scenic drive along the Onomea Bay area and the Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden.

Keaau: About 10 miles south of Hilo, Keaau is the gateway to the Puna district. It has a small town center with a grocery store, restaurants, and services. Housing here and into upper Puna (Kurtistown, Mountain View) tends toward larger lots, agricultural parcels, and more affordable homes. Lava zone ratings matter in this area, so buyers should pay close attention to which zone a property sits in.

Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) and Puna Subdivisions: Large residential subdivisions in lower Puna, south and east of Keaau. These areas offer some of the most affordable land and homes on the Big Island, but come with trade-offs: unpaved roads in many areas, catchment water systems (no county water), and higher rainfall. The 2018 Kilauea eruption directly impacted Leilani Estates and surrounding communities in lower Puna, and that event still shapes buyer sentiment in the area.

Hilo Proper Subdivisions (Ainako, Komohana, Punahoa): Established residential neighborhoods within Hilo town. Single-family homes, mostly built from the 1960s through 1990s, on standard residential lots. These areas offer the convenience of being close to schools, hospitals, and shopping without the rural logistics of Puna.

Local Tip: Lava zones are a critical factor for any Big Island purchase, but especially in the greater Hilo and Puna areas. Properties in Lava Zones 1 and 2 (closest to active volcanic vents) can be very difficult to insure. Always check the lava zone rating before falling in love with a property.

What does that mean for buyers? Hilo rewards people who want to live in a real community rather than a resort bubble. The housing is older on average than Kona, the lots are often larger, and the prices are lower. But you're also buying into more rain, older infrastructure, and in some areas, volcanic risk.

Architectural styles lean toward plantation-era homes (single-wall wood construction, raised foundations, corrugated metal roofing), post-war ranch-style homes, and simple wood-frame construction. Newer builds in subdivisions tend to be modest single-family homes. You won't find much luxury construction here. The aesthetic is functional and tropical, not polished.

Lifestyle and Local Highlights

Life in Hilo moves at its own pace. The rain is part of the deal (Hilo averages about 126 inches per year), and locals don't fight it. You'll see people jogging in the rain, shopping at the farmers market under umbrellas, and surfing Honoli'i in downpours. Mornings are often clear, with clouds building in the afternoon.

Outdoors and Nature

This is where Hilo shines. The windward coast's rainfall feeds an extraordinary concentration of natural attractions:

• Rainbow Falls (Waianuenue): A stunning 80-foot waterfall just minutes from downtown. Best viewed in the morning when rainbows form in the mist.
• Akaka Falls State Park: A short drive north, featuring a 442-foot waterfall surrounded by tropical forest. One of the most photographed spots on the Big Island.
• Wailuku River State Park: Includes Rainbow Falls and the Boiling Pots, a series of cascading pools carved into volcanic rock.
• Honoli'i Beach Park: Hilo's best surfing spot, a small river-mouth break about 5 minutes north of town. Popular with local surfers year-round.
• Richardson Ocean Park: A black-sand beach at the end of Kalanianaole Avenue with tide pools, sea turtles, and calm swimming areas.
• Liliuokalani Park and Gardens: A Japanese-style garden on Banyan Drive overlooking Hilo Bay. Peaceful, beautiful, and free.

And the best part? Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is less than an hour's drive south. You can watch active lava flows (when erupting), hike across crater floors, and walk through lava tubes on a regular weekend outing.

For hikers, the Hamakua Coast north of Hilo offers trails through old-growth forest, and the Puna coast has dramatic sea cliff walks. Mauna Kea's summit is about 90 minutes from Hilo (with the access road starting from Saddle Road), offering world-class stargazing at nearly 14,000 feet.

Dining and Food

Hilo's food scene punches well above its weight for a town its size. It's rooted in the plantation-era melting pot of Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean culinary traditions.

• Hilo Farmers Market: Open daily but biggest on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Local produce, prepared foods, tropical fruits, flowers, and crafts. This is the real thing, not a tourist market.
• Cafe 100: Home of the loco moco, a Hilo original (rice, hamburger patty, fried egg, brown gravy). Been open since 1946.
• Suisan Fish Market: Fresh poke by the pound, right on the waterfront. A local institution.
• Ken's House of Pancakes: The only 24-hour restaurant in Hilo. A local landmark.
• Moon and Turtle: A small, inventive restaurant with a menu that changes based on what's available locally. One of Hilo's best sit-down spots.
• Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine: Casual fine dining on Keawe Street in the historic downtown.

For groceries, KTA Super Stores is the go-to local chain, supplemented by Safeway, Target, and Island Naturals. The farmers market fills in the gaps with produce you can't find anywhere else: rambutan, lychee, breadfruit, fresh turmeric, and more.

Schools and Family Life

Hilo serves as the educational center for East Hawaii:

• Hilo Union Elementary, Kapiolani Elementary, and De Silva Elementary are the main primary schools in town
• Hilo Intermediate feeds into Hilo High School, the area's primary public high school
• Waiakea Intermediate and Waiakea High School serve the southern Hilo area and are generally well-regarded
• St. Joseph School and Haili Christian School offer private options at the elementary level
• University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College provide higher education and contribute to the town's cultural life

Families in Hilo benefit from a slower pace, less traffic, and easy access to nature. Youth sports, hula halau (hula schools), and community events keep kids active and connected.

Culture and Community

Hilo has a rich cultural identity that reflects both its Hawaiian heritage and its plantation history.

The town hosts several signature events:

• Merrie Monarch Festival (Easter week): The premier hula competition in the world. Hilo becomes the center of Hawaiian cultural life for a full week. Tickets are extremely difficult to get, but the energy throughout town is electric.
• May Day Lei Day Festival: Community celebrations of lei-making traditions.
• Hilo Chinese New Year: Reflecting the town's significant Chinese heritage.
• Big Island Film Festival: Independent films screened at the historic Palace Theater downtown.

The downtown historic district along Keawe and Kamehameha Avenues has been revitalized over the past two decades with galleries, boutiques, cafes, and the East Hawaii Cultural Center. The Palace Theater, built in 1925, hosts films, concerts, and live performances.

Local Tip: Merrie Monarch week transforms Hilo completely. Hotels book out a year in advance, and the whole town buzzes with hula, Hawaiian music, and craft fairs. If you're house-hunting in Hilo, try to visit during Merrie Monarch to see the community at its most vibrant.

Getting Around

Hilo is a small town, and most errands take 10-15 minutes by car. There's no real rush hour by mainland standards, though the stretch of Highway 11 near Prince Kuhio Plaza gets busy around school hours.

A few things to know:

• Hilo International Airport (ITO) has inter-island flights and limited mainland service (mostly seasonal). Most mainland travelers connect through Honolulu or fly into Kona and drive over (about 2-2.5 hours via Saddle Road).
• Saddle Road (Daniel K. Inouye Highway) connects Hilo to Kona across the island's interior. It's been significantly improved and is now a smooth, well-maintained highway. The drive between the two coasts takes roughly two hours.
• The Hele-On Bus provides basic public transit around Hilo and limited service to other parts of the island, but a personal vehicle is essential for daily life.
• No Uber/Lyft presence to speak of. Taxis exist but are sparse.

The bottom line? Hilo is for people who want authentic Hawaii. Not the postcard version with white-sand beaches and mai tais, but the real, living, rain-soaked, culturally rich version. It's more affordable, less crowded, and deeply rooted in community. The trade-offs are real (rain, limited retail, volcanic geography), but for the right buyer, Hilo offers something no resort town can replicate.