Cost of Living and Housing in Hickory, North Carolina

Hickory has about 44,258 residents. Median gross rent is $1,063 per month and median household income is $64,576.

Comparison scope: “dataset median” below means the median among 1,211 cities across 10 states in this dataset. It is not presented as a nationwide Census median. The figures use 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates and may lag current listings.

Median Gross Rent $1,063/mo 36% below the dataset median

Median Home Value $278,400 26% below the dataset median

Median Household Income $64,576 23% below the dataset median

Owner-Occupied Homes 55% Share of occupied housing units

Rent-to-Income Baseline 20% Annual median rent ÷ household income

Home Value-to-Income 4.3x Median value ÷ household income

How Hickory compares

Rent is 36% below the dataset median, while household income is 23% below the dataset median. Within North Carolina, Hickory ranks #11 from lowest to highest rent and #30 from highest to lowest household income among 49 cities in this dataset.

The rent-to-income figure compares two citywide medians. It is useful for broad comparison, but it is not an individual household budget or a measure of renter cost burden.

Similar-size cities in North Carolina

Frequently asked questions

What is the median rent in Hickory?

Median gross rent is $1,063 per month in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the median home value in Hickory?

The median value of owner-occupied homes is $278,400 in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the median household income?

Median household income in Hickory is $64,576 per year.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Local database refreshed 2026-07-11.