ZIP Code 96720 — Hilo CDP, HI Demographics & Data

ZIP code 96720 covers Hilo, HI in Hawaii County with a population of about 50,971.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 42.6 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 808; U.S. House district HI-2; the HONOLULU media market.

Median household income in ZIP 96720 is about $78,537 — about 5% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 13.8%; unemployment rate near 7.0%; 33.7% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (roughly in line with the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Education, Healthcare, and Retail trade; about 8.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 6.6 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $458,100 — about 32% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,140 (about even with the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 66.0% (roughly in line with the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 96720 in Hilo, HI, a household would need roughly $126,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,943. That is about 60% above the local median household income ($78,537), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Hilo CDP, HI as Relatively High (composite score 98.5), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (98.9) and wildfire (98.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Hilo CDP, HI show little to no average snow and around 151.2 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 2,472 for ZIP 96720 (Hilo CDP, HI) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.