Hickory: Housing & Real Estate
Homes in Hickory carry a median value of $278,400 (estimated market value runs 8% higher at $301,944), with median rent $1,063 (1.1× higher than Catawba County median $965; 1.2× below North Carolina median $1,228). Homeownership rate: 55.0%. That's 1.2× higher than the Catawba County median ($241,600); about the same as the North Carolina median ($288,900). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 10.4%. New construction makes up 8.0% of stock. 8 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 4.3× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs North Carolina 4.5×).
- 21.8 years to break even renting at the median (vs North Carolina 22y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.9× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $278,400 — 0.8× the North Carolina median ($353,700). Median rent $1,063/month. homeownership rate 55.0% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 4.3× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | moderate |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 18.1% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 28.5% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 17.1% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 3.2% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $858 (vs North Carolina $1,167) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $908 (vs North Carolina $1,429) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,095 (vs North Carolina $1,567) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,372 (vs North Carolina $1,905) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,660 (vs North Carolina $2,319) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $301,944 |
| Median Home Value | $278,400 (vs North Carolina $353,700) |
| Median Rent | $1,063 (vs North Carolina $1,360) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 10.4% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 8.0% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 12.1% |
| Housing Orgs · Total count | 6 |
Sources: IRS BMF NTEE L
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (14)
Systems (5)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Carolina median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Carolina median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Carolina median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 44.9% (vs North Carolina 63.3%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 23,822 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.13¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 5067762 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $8,727 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at North Carolina median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at North Carolina median) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 11 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 10 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 11 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 29 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 55.0% (vs North Carolina 52.8%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1982 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12