Named the ‘#1 place to live’ in a recent survey of U.S. cities, the city of Hickory is located in western North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is approximately 50 miles northwest of Charlotte, 80 miles east of Asheville, and 35 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The anchor city of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area (2020 population of 365,276), Hickory’s population was 43,490 according to the 2020 census.
Lake Hickory, a man-made lake created in 1927 with the completion of the Oxford Dam runs along the northern edge of the city. The city has an altitude of approximately 1,200 ft.
Summers are usually warm but not hot. Winters generally include some light dustings of snow and falls are crisp with beautiful autumn foliage. Average weather temperatures for the year range from a high of 69° F to a low of 48° F. Hickory average 3.5-4 inches of rain per month.
Many retirees call Hickory home but the area has seen an influx of young professionals attracted by the proximity to Asheville and Charlotte and the many outdoor recreation options surrounding the area.
Hickory was founded in 1873 as “the Town of Hickory Tavern.” It was named after a tavern built in 1850 under a huge hickory tree near a stagecoach junction. The town was renamed “the City of Hickory” in 1899. Hickory has grown to become home to 43,000 residents and is “the regional hub for 365,000 people for commerce and recreation.” Hickory prides itself on offering residents a “life well-crafted.”
City |
Single |
Family |
Hickory, NC |
$1660 |
$3617 |
Jacksonville, FL |
$2109 |
$4891 |
Los Angeles, CA |
$2975 |
$6193 |
Austin, TX |
$2672 |
$6245 |
New York City, NY |
$3723 |
$8021 |
The Hickory area is considered a “data-center corridor” and houses data centers for both Apple and Google. Major industries in the area include manufacturing, education, healthcare, retail trade, professional and management, scientific, public administration, transportation, and construction. Fiber-optic cable manufacturing is a large industry with 40% of the world’s fiber-optic cable being made near Hickory.
The cost of living in Hickory is low and housing is relatively affordable compared to the state average. The median home price is $161,000 and the median monthly rent is $708.
