What HUD offices serve Hilo, Hawaii?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the Hawaii Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Hilo.
How many renters live in Hilo, Hawaii?
The City of Hilo has 47,627 people living in 16,752 households.
There are 15,256 renters living in 5,905 renter households in this City. Renters make up 32.03 percent of the population living in Hilo.
What is the rental market like in Hilo, Hawaii?
There are an estimated 18,656 housing units in the Hilo area. Of these, 6,356 units are rental homes, making up 34 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Hilo, Hawaii, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Hilo?
The rental vacancy rate in Hilo is 5 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Hilo for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Hilo
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 575 | 876 | 1,770 | 2,163 | 475 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Hilo
A large number of apartments in Hilo have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Hilo are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 44 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 28 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Hilo
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,458 to $2,855. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $1,458 |
| One BR | $1,548 |
| Two BR | $2,010 |
| Three BR | $2,588 |
| Four BR | $2,855 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Hilo, Hawaii
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Hilo?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 480 | 83 percent |
| One BR | 850 | 97 percent |
| Two BR | 1,372 | 78 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Hilo, Hawaii
How many affordable rental units are in Hilo?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Hilo, Hawaii including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 532 |
| Public Housing | 287 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 280 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 39 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 8 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Hilo, Hawaii
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Hilo, Hawaii
Hilo features 258 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Hilo, Hawaii
There are 385 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Hilo.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Hilo, Hawaii
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Hilo landlords $800 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Hilo.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Hilo, Hawaii for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,809 and $2,211.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
