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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Hickory

North Carolina · 37,222 residents · 31.9 sq mi
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The short version

Hickory is home to 37,222 people in North Carolina. The population is up 31% since 1990. 55% of homes are owner-occupied. Getting to work takes 11 minutes on average. About 28% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Households take in $37,236 at the median, 13% less than the US figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 34.6
US median: 35.2
More educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 32%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

37,222
+31%since 1990
from 28,337 in 1990
1990 – 2025
34.6
+2%since 1990
from 33.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
31.9 sq mi
Population, 19902024
27K32K36K41K46K19902000201020202024Hickory
202444K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.9%(2,585)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.9%(2,560)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146%(2,250)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.4%(2,386)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 248.2%(3,058)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3416.1%(5,991)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4414.6%(5,419)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412.8%(4,752)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.5%(3,163)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747%(2,599)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.8%(1,802)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.8%(657)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$37,236
+4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $27,212 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
$23,263
+51%since 1990
from $15,433 in 1990
US average: $21,522
11.3%
Unchangedsince 1990
from 11.3% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

$116,600
+32%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $67,300 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
$540
+7%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $384 in 1990
US average: $602
55.0%
+3.2 ptssince 1990
from 51.7% in 1990
45.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic81.1%(22,976)
Black17%(4,819)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(187)
Asian1.1%(319)
2000
White, non-Hispanic73.2%(27,245)
Black13.9%(5,181)
Hispanic / Latino7.7%(2,863)
Asian3.8%(1,426)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.6%(3,360)
South American2.6%(1,162)
Puerto Rican2.2%(990)
Salvadoran0.8%(334)
Ecuadorian0.8%(334)
Argentine0.7%(317)
Colombian0.5%(204)
Guatemalan0.3%(151)
Chilean0.3%(151)
Venezuelan0.2%(106)
Dominican0.1%(61)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(53)
Peruvian0.1%(50)
Cuban0.1%(46)
Honduran0%(15)
Spaniard0%(14)
Asian origin
Hmong2.8%(1,256)
Vietnamese0.8%(375)
Thai0.4%(194)
Filipino0.2%(82)
Asian Indian0.2%(76)
Korean0.1%(44)
Chinese0.1%(25)
Japanese0%(19)
Mien0%(17)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0.1%(36)
Ancestry
English15.6%(6,893)
German12.2%(5,382)
American9.7%(4,315)
Irish7.6%(3,351)
Italian3.6%(1,593)
Scottish2.4%(1,055)
Scotch-Irish2.1%(911)
French1.9%(832)
Polish1.7%(745)
Dutch0.9%(390)
Greek0.7%(327)
Norwegian0.6%(270)
+ 25 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.5%(231)
Welsh0.5%(215)
British0.4%(178)
Swedish0.4%(169)
Romanian0.3%(140)
Ukrainian0.3%(120)
Danish0.2%(94)
Slovak0.2%(89)
Hungarian0.2%(74)
Slovene0.1%(65)
Brazilian0.1%(62)
Croatian0.1%(54)
West Indian0.1%(50)
Swiss0.1%(38)
Czech0.1%(34)
Iranian0.1%(32)
Finnish0.1%(27)
Jamaican0.1%(26)
Belgian0%(20)
Armenian0%(13)
Austrian0%(12)
Turkish0%(5)
Section 05

Education

28.0%
+4.6 ptssince 1990
from 23.4% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
79.1%
+7.0 ptssince 1990
from 72.1% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
8.6%
+2.7 ptssince 1990
from 6.0% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

11.2 min
−16%since 1990
from 13.3 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.5%(4,717)
Married56.1%(7,905)
Widowed2.2%(315)
Divorced8.2%(1,158)
Women 15+
Never married24.1%(3,812)
Married50.3%(7,979)
Widowed13.8%(2,181)
Divorced11.8%(1,876)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

10.9%
−8.4 ptssince 2013
from 19.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
49.6%
−3.9 ptssince 2020
from 53.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.0%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 14.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
18.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 17.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
20.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 18.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.0%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 66.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.5%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 33.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)26.6%(571)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.7%(466)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.7%(831)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.2%(91)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,149 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Hickory, North Carolina?

Hickory, North Carolina has about 37,222 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Hickory, North Carolina?

The typical household in Hickory, North Carolina earns about $37,236 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Hickory, North Carolina expensive?

In Hickory, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $116,600, and the typical rent is about $540 a month.

How educated are people in Hickory, North Carolina?

About 28.0% of adults age 25 and over in Hickory, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Hickory, North Carolina?

About 11.3% of people in Hickory, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Hickory, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Hickory, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,885 residents, a change of about 31 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →