Hickory, NC
Census place 3731060 · pop 44,258
A longtime furniture-manufacturing center, once making a large share of the nation's wood furniture.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
55.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
17.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
38.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$64,576 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
14.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$278,400 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
24.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
37.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.74% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,408/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+8.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
65/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Hickory: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Hickory, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Hickory scores 50/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is income inequality. North Carolina overall ranks #16 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Hickory, NC expensive to live in?
- Hickory has a median home value of $278,400 and typical rent around $1,408/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Hickory, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.49) — 16/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Hickory, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (65/100) — 80/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: A longtime furniture-manufacturing center, once making a large share of the nation's wood furniture.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.