Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Hickory, NC compare?
| Figure | Hickory, NC |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 45,975 |
| Change since April 2020 | +5.4% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 43,490 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 1,347 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | – |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 4.3 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 19.8% |
| Measure | Hickory, NC |
|---|---|
| Total population | 44,258±117 |
| Median age | 37.5±2.4 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 15.2%±2.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 62.6%±2.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 13.0%±1.8 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4.8%±1.3 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 9.6%±1.7 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 37.1%±2.5 pts |
| Median household income | $64,576±$5,348 |
| Per capita income | $38,101±$2,758 |
| People below the poverty line | 17.1%±2.7 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8%±1.3 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $278,400±$19,251 |
| Median gross rent | $1,063±$63 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 28.5%±4.6 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 55.0%±2.8 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.7%±0.6 pts |
| Worked from home | 12.9%±2.8 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 72.3%±3.2 pts |
| Public transportation | 0.1%±0.1 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.1 min±1.6 |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.9%±1.9 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov