96720 ZIP Code — Hilo, HI

Hawaii County, Hawaii

ZIP code 96720 is located in Hilo, Hawaii, within Hawaii County. It covers approximately 287.77 square miles and serves a population of 50,453 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Hawaii (HT) — no DST timezone, served by area code 808.

About ZIP code 96720

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $421,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

The gap between median ($75,265) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. SNAP benefit usage at 22% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 34% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 96720 reflects a community defined by a significant Social Security-dependent population and elevated reliance on food assistance.

50,453

population

287.77

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Hawaii (HT) — no DST

timezone

96720 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 96720

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 96720. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hilo	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

96781 Papaikou (8.1 mi) 96783 Pepeekeo (12.1 mi) 96771 Mountain View (15.5 mi) 96760 Kurtistown (16.6 mi) 96749 Keaau (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	50,453
Population density	175 / sq mi
State FIPS	15
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	287.77 sq mi
Water area	6.94 sq mi
Latitude	19.6829
Longitude	-155.2732
Timezone	Hawaii (HT) — no DST
Area code	808

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	39.1%	39.1%	29.0%
$50k – $100k	31.2%	31.0%	29.8%
$100k – $200k	24.8%	23.6%	29.9%
Over $200k	4.9%	6.3%	11.3%

Demographics & statistics

50,453

Population

175

People per sq mi

41.7

Median age

$75,265

Median household income

$37,217

Per capita income

$421,800

Median home value

$1,229

Median monthly rent

65.4%

Home ownership

14.6%

Poverty rate

6.6%

Unemployment

13,544

Housing units

34.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,098

Under 5

1,159

1,494

5–9

1,575

1,718

10–14

1,813

1,668

15–19

1,759

1,254

20–24

1,322

2,996

25–34

3,160

3,169

35–44

3,343

2,470

45–54

2,606

1,443

55–59

1,523

1,757

60–64

1,853

2,991

65–74

3,156

1,610

75–84

1,698

885

85+

933

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	10,637	21.1%
18 and over	39,816	78.9%
65 and over	11,273	22.3%
Median age	41.7 years

Race & ethnicity

Two or more races 36.4%

Asian 29.7%

White 17.7%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 11.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.2%

Other race 0.7%

Black or African American 0.7%

Group	Count	%
Two or more races	18,952	36.4%
Asian	15,458	29.7%
White	9,238	17.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6,039	11.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,673	3.2%
Other race	389	0.7%
Black or African American	353	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	39.1%	39.1%	29.0%
$50k – $100k	31.2%	31.0%	29.8%
$100k – $200k	24.8%	23.6%	29.9%
Over $200k	4.9%	6.3%	11.3%

Under $10k 6.9%

$10k–$15k 4.4%

$15k–$25k 7.5%

$25k–$35k 7.2%

$35k–$50k 8.0%

$50k–$75k 15.8%

$75k–$100k 12.4%

$100k–$150k 17.0%

$150k–$200k 11.4%

$200k+ 9.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.9%
$10k–$15k	4.4%
$15k–$25k	7.5%
$25k–$35k	7.2%
$35k–$50k	8.0%
$50k–$75k	15.8%
$75k–$100k	12.4%
$100k–$150k	17.0%
$150k–$200k	11.4%
$200k+	9.3%
Median income	$75,265

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.6%

$50k–$100k 2.5%

$100k–$150k 2.5%

$150k–$200k 2.9%

$200k–$300k 12.5%

$300k–$500k 43.7%

$500k–$1M 30.7%

$1M+ 3.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$421,800
Median rent / month	$1,229
Owner occupied	65.4%
Renter occupied	34.6%
Vacant	10.4%
Single-family detached	78.7%
Large apartment buildings	9.8%
Mobile homes	0.3%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.88

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.8%
2000–2009	9.2%
1990–1999	13.3%
1980–1989	15.8%
1970–1979	25.6%
1960–1969	12.9%
1950–1959	8.2%
1940–1949	5.7%
1939 or earlier	5.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.9%
1 bedroom	6.1%
2 bedrooms	17.6%
3 bedrooms	50.8%
4 bedrooms	16.2%
5+ bedrooms	4.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.5%
1 vehicle	31.1%
2 vehicles	33.9%
3 or more	26.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.0%
Electricity	35.9%
Propane / LP gas	3.4%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	0.2%
Solar	2.7%
No fuel used	55.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	7,920	45.0%
Cohabiting couple	1,303	7.4%
Male householder, no spouse	3,003	17.1%
Female householder, no spouse	5,358	30.5%
Households with children under 18	5,003	28.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	7,678	43.7%
Average household size	2.78

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	41.2%	33.1%
Married	47.2%	42.3%
Separated	1.6%	1.6%
Widowed	2.4%	10.7%
Divorced	7.6%	12.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 27.2%

Some college, no degree 18.8%

Associate's degree 14.2%

Bachelor's degree 21.5%

Graduate / professional 12.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.2%
Bachelor's or higher	34.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	423	3.4%
Kindergarten	457	3.7%
Elementary school	5,363	43.6%
High school	2,367	19.2%
College / grad school	3,697	30.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.5%

Retail trade 12.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.8%

Professional & management 9.6%

Public administration 9.1%

Construction 7.5%

Finance & real estate 5.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.2%

Other services 4.0%

Wholesale trade 3.3%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Manufacturing 1.7%

Information 1.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.3%
Service	20.9%
Sales & office	20.4%
Natural resources & construction	9.7%
Production & transportation	7.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	64.8%
Government	26.9%
Self-employed	8.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.0%
Carpool	14.5%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	2.9%
Work from home	7.8%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.8

Poverty

All people 14.6%

Under 18 years 19.3%

18 and over 13.3%

Married-couple families 4.0%

Female-led households 25.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.9%
Retirement income	32.8%
Supplemental Security	7.2%
Cash public assistance	7.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	22.0%
High blood pressure	29.5%
High cholesterol	28.7%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	6.1%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	21.3%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	5.4%
Cancer	5.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.9%
Binge drinking	16.5%
No physical activity	20.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.2%
Depression	15.5%
Fair or poor health	14.2%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	9.4%
No health insurance	10.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.5%
Visited dentist	64.3%
Cholesterol screening	85.4%
Teeth loss	8.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	3,382	8.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.0%
Under 18	4.4%
18–64 years	11.9%
65 and over	33.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.3%
Public insurance	46.5%
No insurance	2.7%
Uninsured under 19	3.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	48,196	95.5%
Spanish	3,281	6.8%
Other Indo-European	110	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	40	0.1%
Other languages	2,534	5.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	45,850	90.9%
Born in same state	45,214	89.6%
Born in different state	36,539	72.4%
Foreign born	636	1.3%
Naturalized citizen	4,603	9.1%
Not a US citizen	2,549	55.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,249	4.5%
Italian	1,413	2.8%
Polish	363	0.7%
Arab	360	0.7%
German	240	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	146	0.3%
Dutch	58	0.1%
Irish	46	0.1%
Norwegian	34	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.9%
Internet access	92.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 96720

What part of Hilo is ZIP code 96720?

ZIP code 96720 covers a portion of Hilo, Hawaii, within Hawaii County.

What county is ZIP code 96720 in?

ZIP code 96720 falls within Hawaii County, Hawaii.

Does ZIP code 96720 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 96720 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 96720?

The median home value in ZIP code 96720 is $421,800.

What is the population of ZIP code 96720?

ZIP code 96720 has an estimated population of 50,453 residents, with a density of 175 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 96720?

The median household income in ZIP code 96720 is $75,265, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 96720 in?

ZIP code 96720 observes the HST timezone.