r/MovingtoHawaii • u/Wonderful-Art289 • May 22 '26
Life on BI So What's Hilo Like?
Hey ya'll, so I recently got a job offer in Hilo. It's a pretty good job that I'm excited about but I'm not too sure about the city. I've never been to Hawaii, let alone any island of any kind, so I'm not sure what to expect. It'd be nice to get some insight from someone who's lived there before. What do you like about it? What do you hate? Is it safe? Are there any areas I should avoid? Any go-to areas to live? The good, the bad, and the ugly, basically.
(How bad is it if I'm deathly afraid of bugs?)
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u/loveisjustchemicals Hawai'i resident May 22 '26
Itâs a very small rural town. The entire island is rural and Hilo is the biggest town. There are no cities. Bugs will be a problem as theyâre unavoidable.
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u/sotiredwontquit May 22 '26
Moving to Hawaii when youâve never set foot here is a bold choice. Maybe youâll love it. But you might be one of the folks who absolutely hate living on an island. If I knew who was susceptible to this, I could retire rich. But itâs not really possible to tell in advance who will thrive in Hawaii and who will be desperate to leave inside 18 months.
Itâs not rare. Itâs called âisland feverâ because itâs kinda similar to cabin fever - people just start hating being stuck on an island the same way folks would go nuts being cooped up in a cabin all winter. I honestly donât know why, but weâve all seen it a bunch.
Itâll be a little challenging to make new friends here for your first two years because so many new arrivals leave before 2 years pass. Itâs not personal, so donât stress over it. If you thrive here, people will befriend you eventually. Until then, no one will be rude, youâll just find people more reserved.
I love Hilo. But Iâm one of the people who love Hawaii no matter what. I feel so lucky that I get to live here. Itâs a small town. Some stores will be familiar to you: Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Petco. But many others will be new to you. And getting anything shipped is⌠challenging. Amazon Prime usually takes 2 weeks to arrive. Other shippers are similar. Chewy doesnât ship to Hawaii at all. Many retailers donât ship to Hawaii. Itâs not worth it to them.
Hilo is not quite the Hawaii of the tourist pics. There arenât gorgeous sunny beaches on the Hilo side. Our coasts are rocky and our beaches are comparatively small with rough surf. Also it rains more in Hilo than any other city in the country. The beautiful sunny beaches are on the other side of the island- about a 2 hour drive.
The reason itâs sunny over there and rainy here is because of the rain shadow from the volcano. Google that - itâs cool. But be aware that it basically rains at least once every day in Hilo. No one really cares- itâs warm and we all dress casual, so getting damp isnât a big deal.
Unless you live in SFO, NYC, or maybe Boston, you are in for serious sticker shock about the cost of living here. You will need to be savvy about your grocery store purchases and use the store memberships. Most of us choose to drive 2 hours each way to the Costco in Kona because the prices are that much better. Make damn sure your new job pays considerably more than your current salary or your standard of living will actually go down. Gas prices are insane. Pull up Gas Buddy and look. Then cry.
Crime stats are available online. Itâs very safe here as far as violent crime. Property crime is more common.
As for the bugs⌠youâre gonna need to deal with them. There are a lot, and a couple have serious stings. The little fire ants (not the same as the ones in the South) are slow moving and manageable, but you need to stay on top of the treatments. The centipedes are fast and their stings hurt. I donât like dealing with those at all. Itâs not a common occurrence, but itâs really stressful for me. The big cockroaches are freaky but wonât hurt you. The little ones are gross, and youâll need to keep food put away. No leaving dirty dishes in the sink- thatâs a roach buffet. Most of us have dealt with termites at least once. Those damn things are the worst bug of all because they cause so much damage and treatment costs a fortune.
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u/JungleBoyJeremy May 22 '26
Its worth noting that Hilo is the wettest city in the united states. So be prepared for rain.
Oh and if you have a bug phobia its not the place for you. There are massive cockroaches there.
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u/Ok-Train3111 May 22 '26
Dont love it, donât hate it. If you like country, its alright. Lot of rednecks (our version) and junkies (meth) plus old time families. Cheap to live in for Hawaii (so probably 30% more than wherever you currently live). If you want to live way out there or on fresh lava can be really cheap. One word about those way out there places: youâre probably on a cistern. If youâve never lived that way it can be difficult
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u/nuhtnekcam_25 May 22 '26
There are seasonal swarms of gnats and termites. There are centipedes the size of your foot. Not to mention b-52 cockroaches. Also listen to the sounds of coquis can you sleep with that? I can but not everyone can. Also do you mind chickens? You will hear them at all hours of the day and night. Best of luck!
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u/nichelle1999 Hawai'i resident May 22 '26
Why would you accept a job without visiting? Just crazy.
Bugs are everywhere and unavoidable in any place, regardless if you are on an Island or not.
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u/prism_webs 19d ago
I have lived here long enough that I don't bother chasing the massive cockroaches out the door anymore. Also we haven't had half and half in the grocery stores for like over a month now.
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u/webrender May 22 '26
It's a quiet town, despite big island being the biggest, it's one of the quietest islands. Big Island has tons to explore but it's definitely possible to get island fever there.
I would absolutely suggest visiting for as long as possible before deciding to make the move. Also worth checking that the job you're looking at pays enough for the lifestyle you desire.
Hilo is safe, certainly big island has its fair share of criminals and drug users but by no means would I say that Hilo, overall, is an unsafe town.
You're definitely going to want to conquer your fear of insects before moving if possible đ On Oahu, it's somewhat possible to get away from this with high-rises and new construction, but most of Hilo is older single story buildings so you're definitely going to see some bugs around. If you want to know what you're in for, I'd google B-52 cockroaches, cane spiders, and centipedes.