Population 3,273 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hickory
Household size in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.91 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.38 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Hickory are large by national standards, averaging 2.91 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.53, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.9 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
At 39.5, the median age in Hickory is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.9 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.6% of households in Hickory, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Hickory
Renters in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.8% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.8% of households in Hickory rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over half of owners (51.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.1% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.3% of the housing in Hickory, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Hickory is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Kentucky.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $470 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $590 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $677 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $988 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$519 | +$367 | +$606 |
Rent in Hickory runs $988 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Kentucky as a whole looks much the same. The typical renter here spends 22.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Hickory
Bachelor's degrees in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Hickory have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.7%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.0% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.9% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.4% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.1% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Hickory have finished high school (91.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Hickory has been strong: just 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Hickory compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory | 2.91 | 39.5 | 5.6% | 15.8% | 16.3% | 1985 | $988 | 13.7% | 91.1% | 2.0% |
| Viola | 2.32 | 41.6 | 19.1% | 1.1% | 11.6% | 1988 | $879 | 17.5% | 85.9% | 9.2% |
| Folsomdale | 3.28 | 39.7 | 5.9% | 16.8% | 18.2% | 1987 | $1,067 | 8.0% | 90.9% | 1.6% |
| Boaz | 2.51 | 46.1 | 10.7% | 7.6% | 14.8% | 1986 | $979 | 16.0% | 89.0% | 4.1% |
| Lynnville | 3.08 | 41.8 | 10.8% | 29.6% | 17.9% | 1989 | $1,039 | 13.6% | 83.9% | 0.8% |
| Melber | 2.49 | 51.4 | 5.5% | 9.2% | 8.7% | 1984 | $1,004 | 16.4% | 89.8% | 3.7% |
| Mayfield | 2.47 | 41.7 | 14.1% | 30.1% | 13.7% | 1973 | $795 | 18.2% | 88.2% | 3.3% |
| Lowes | 2.40 | 48.1 | 6.5% | 9.4% | 11.2% | 1983 | $970 | 14.5% | 86.4% | 2.7% |
| Fancy Farm | 2.70 | 39.9 | 8.4% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 1981 | $771 | 23.8% | 93.6% | 2.0% |
| Symsonia | 2.54 | 37.9 | 6.4% | 6.6% | 22.8% | 1993 | $866 | 32.5% | 97.0% | 6.3% |
| Oak Level | 2.63 | 41.8 | 6.7% | 10.9% | 12.7% | 1991 | $801 | 22.7% | 93.9% | 7.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Southern Shores, NC · Jay, FL · Argos, IN · Lakeside-Marblehead, OH · Norridgewock, ME · Polo, IL · Sands Point, NY · Shady Shores, TX · Sims, NC · Julian, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Hickory. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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