Population 66,244 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hickory
Household size in Hickory
| Period | Hickory | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.51 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Hickory has 2.51 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.9 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.5 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.5 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
At 39.9, the median age in Hickory is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has crept up from 39.4 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the southwest.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Hickory as they are nationally: 12.3%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.5 points, even as the national share fell.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.1% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.2% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.8% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.9% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Hickory rent their homes (32.9%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Nearly four in ten owners (37.6%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Hickory is close to the national rate: 9.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in North Carolina as a whole (11.4%). Vacancy is down 3.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Hickory was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $696 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $691 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $734 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,022 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$326 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Hickory pays $1,022 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $326 a month from 2006–10, a 47% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 24.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the north and lowest in the west.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.3% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.0% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.9% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Hickory than nationally: 31.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.6 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the west.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.7% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.9% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.2% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.5% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Hickory have finished high school as nationally: 89.5%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 7.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Hickory has been strong: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 6.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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 | 2.51 | 39.9 | 12.3% | 32.9% | 9.8% | 1981 | $1,022 | 31.9% | 89.5% | 2.9% |
| Brookford | 3.17 | 31.5 | 13.6% | 35.2% | 6.7% | 1990 | $1,183 | 26.1% | 94.4% | 1.8% |
| Long View | 2.28 | 40.9 | 11.2% | 52.6% | 11.9% | 1967 | $768 | 11.2% | 85.4% | 4.3% |
| St. Stephens | 2.46 | 43.4 | 14.7% | 24.4% | 6.4% | 1982 | $959 | 29.0% | 87.5% | 2.2% |
| Hildebran | 2.63 | 37.5 | 14.9% | 29.0% | 5.5% | 1977 | $799 | 12.9% | 86.9% | 4.6% |
| Rhodhiss | 2.66 | 46.6 | 10.8% | 22.7% | 5.9% | 1985 | $897 | 18.3% | 86.2% | 2.6% |
| Conover | 2.49 | 42.0 | 15.7% | 25.5% | 9.9% | 1988 | $1,007 | 22.3% | 84.3% | 4.4% |
| Granite Falls | 2.52 | 43.6 | 13.9% | 23.2% | 11.5% | 1987 | $898 | 21.4% | 86.6% | 7.8% |
| Rutherford College | 2.27 | 49.5 | 7.9% | 25.4% | 7.3% | 1977 | $1,013 | 34.2% | 92.7% | 3.7% |
| Newton | 2.52 | 41.0 | 12.1% | 23.7% | 7.6% | 1982 | $1,026 | 20.2% | 88.3% | 4.8% |
| Startown | 3.03 | 41.7 | 7.5% | 17.3% | 5.1% | 1992 | $745 | 21.4% | 95.7% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Belleville, IL · Woodland, CA · Niagara Falls, NY · Mechanicsville, VA · Martinsburg, WV · Lebanon, PA · Laguna Niguel, CA · Hot Springs, AR · Eden Prairie, MN · Casa Grande, AZ
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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