Census tract · Catawba County
Census Tract 104.03, Catawba County, North Carolina
Census Tract 104.03, GEOID 37035010403, in Catawba County, North Carolina, mostly within Hickory (91% of its census blocks). 5,559 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±652); the 2020 Census counted 5,555.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,559
±652 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,555
Median household income
$46,955
±$7,417 (90% margin)
Catawba County: $67,864
Median home value
$245,300
±$26,629 (90% margin)
Catawba County: $241,600
Median gross rent
$1,123
±$100 (90% margin)
Catawba County: $965
Where is Census Tract 104.03?
Census Tract 104.03 is one of 34 census tracts in Catawba County, North Carolina. It covers 2.29 square miles of land, 2,425 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37035010403, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Hickory | 91% |
| St. Stephens | 9% |
7 census tracts border Census Tract 104.03: Tract 103.02 ($78,167), Tract 103.03 ($61,630), Tract 103.04 ($62,772), Tract 104.02 ($48,230), Tract 104.04 ($54,924), Tract 105.01 ($91,750) and Tract 105.02 ($127,763). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 104.03?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 104.03's population at 5,559 (±652) in 2,458 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,555 residents and 2,850 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 104.03 | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,559 ±652 | 44,258 |
| Households | 2,458 ±292 | 18,042 |
| Average household size | 2.25 ±0.23 | 2.36 |
| Housing units | 2,619 ±260 | 19,955 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 104.03?
The median resident of Census Tract 104.03 is 31.7 years old; 23.8% are under 18 and 14.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 71.8%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 9.1%.
| Measure | Tract 104.03 | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.7 ±3.8 | 37.5 |
| Under 18 years | 23.8% ±4.5 pts | 21.3% |
| 65 years and over | 14.0% ±3.3 pts | 17.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.6% ±6.8 pts | 15.2% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 71.8% ±8.5 pts | 62.6% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.1% ±5.4 pts | 13.0% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 7.7% ±5.0 pts | 4.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±2.2 pts | 4.1% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 4.6% ±3.9 pts | 9.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.2% ±5.5 pts | 15.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.2% ±3.5 pts | 6.2% |
| With a disability | 12.7% ±3.9 pts | 12.2% |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.6% ±4.1 pts | 10.9% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.9% ±6.6 pts | 90.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 30.5% ±6.3 pts | 37.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.5% ±4.6 pts | 13.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 80.4% ±8.6 pts | 85.2% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 104.03 earn?
Half of the 2,458 households in Census Tract 104.03 earn less than $46,955 a year (±$7,417), against $67,864 across Catawba County: 30th highest of the county's 33 tracts with a reliable estimate. 15.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 104.03 | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,955 ±$7,417 | $64,576 |
| Mean household income | $66,703 ±$10,489 | $91,758 |
| Per capita income | $30,090 ±$5,063 | $38,101 |
| People below the poverty line | 15.7% ±7.8 pts | 17.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.7% ±10.5 pts | 26.3% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.7% ±7.3 pts | 13.1% |
| Households with a computer | 93.0% ±4.1 pts | 94.8% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.2% ±7.2 pts | 87.6% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 104.03?
Owners occupy 47.6% of Census Tract 104.03's occupied homes and renters 52.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $245,300 by its owner (±$26,629). The median renter pays $1,123 a month including utilities, and 32.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 104.03 | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $245,300 ±$26,629 | $278,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,123 ±$100 | $1,063 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 32.4% ±16.2 pts | 28.5% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,358 ±$120 | $1,470 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 47.6% ±7.9 pts | 55.0% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 52.4% ±7.9 pts | 45.0% |
| Housing units | 2,619 ±260 | 19,955 |
| Single-family detached homes | 43.7% ±8.4 pts | 54.9% |
| Mobile homes | 1.5% ±1.7 pts | 3.5% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.8% ±2.1 pts | 1.7% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 15.2% ±6.1 pts | 6.2% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.7% ±1.9 pts | 8.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.3% ±6.0 pts | 7.5% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 104.03 get to work?
84.3% of Census Tract 104.03's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.1 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 104.03 | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.4% ±8.1 pts | 59.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% ±2.9 pts | 3.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 84.3% ±8.4 pts | 72.3% |
| Carpooled | 11.0% ±7.4 pts | 13.1% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.1% |
| Walked | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 0.9% |
| Worked from home | 1.9% ±2.3 pts | 12.9% |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.1 min ±4.4 | 21.1 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 104.03 compare with the other tracts in Catawba County?
Among Catawba County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 104.03 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Catawba County | In Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10th of 34 | 4th of 14 |
| Residents per square mile | 3rd of 34 | 3rd of 14 |
| Median household income | 30th of 33 | 11th of 14 |
| Per capita income | 24th of 34 | 9th of 14 |
| Median home value | 14th of 34 | 5th of 14 |
| Median gross rent | 8th of 31 | 5th of 14 |
| Poverty rate | 9th of 29 | 7th of 13 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8th of 34 | 5th of 14 |
| Median age | 32nd of 34 | 12th of 14 |
| Owner-occupied share | 30th of 34 | 10th of 14 |
The tracts next to it on Catawba County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 114.01 | 27th | $55,074±$13,700 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 104.04 | 28th | $54,924±$14,958 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 104.02 | 29th | $48,230±$6,018 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 104.03 | 30th | $46,955±$7,417 |
| Tract 107 | 31st | $45,842±$3,219 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 110 | 32nd | $41,481±$10,556 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 109 | 33rd | $34,223±$13,548 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 104.03?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 104.03 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections