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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Hickory Metro

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC · 4 counties · 365,276 residents · 1,639.484 sq mi
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The short version

Hickory has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $49,874. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 33%. Median home value has risen by half since 2000, reaching $139,095.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 43.8
US median: 38.8
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
365,276
+7%since 2000
from 341,851 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
223 / sq mi
+7%since 2000
from 209 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
43.8
+19%since 2000
from 36.7 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
285K308K330K353K376K1990201020202024Hickory
2024368K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55%(18,288)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(20,003)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.2%(22,699)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.2%(22,732)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.6%(20,336)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.5%(41,852)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.5%(41,862)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413.9%(50,714)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.7%(53,760)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411.8%(43,088)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.1%(22,439)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(7,503)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$49,874
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,988 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,102
+45%since 2000
from $18,723 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
31.1%
+10.9 ptssince 2009
from 20.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
14.2%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade25.9%
US avg: 10%
Information11.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade5.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.1%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.4%
US avg: 2.5%
Other services3.3%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration2.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$139,095
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $85,990 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$703
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $479 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
71.1%
−3.2 ptssince 2000
from 74.3% in 2000
28.9% rent
Afford Score
2.8
−4%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Hickory on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic85.7%(292,922)
Black6.9%(23,441)
Hispanic / Latino4%(13,834)
Asian2.3%(7,841)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic77.6%(283,545)
Black6.3%(23,152)
Hispanic / Latino8.6%(31,320)
Asian3%(11,004)
Other2.6%(9,522)
Segregation Score
33
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.6%(16,680)
Central American1.4%(5,272)
Puerto Rican0.6%(2,258)
Guatemalan0.6%(2,132)
Salvadoran0.4%(1,331)
Honduran0.2%(880)
Spaniard0.2%(483)
Costa Rican0.3%(411)
Colombian0.1%(410)
Nicaraguan0.2%(384)
Dominican0.1%(261)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Cuban0.1%(200)
Chilean0.1%(154)
Venezuelan0.1%(142)
Argentine0%(54)
Ecuadorian0.1%(44)
Asian origin
Hmong2.6%(7,326)
Vietnamese0.2%(699)
Chinese0.2%(555)
Japanese0.1%(414)
Korean0.1%(395)
Laotian0.2%(378)
Thai0.1%(358)
Filipino0.1%(350)
Asian Indian0.1%(286)
Bangladeshi0.1%(63)
Pakistani0%(34)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(96)
Samoan0%(28)
Ancestry
American23.3%(86,141)
German13.5%(49,499)
English8.7%(31,942)
Irish8.6%(31,815)
Scottish2.4%(8,849)
Scotch-Irish2.4%(8,834)
Italian1.8%(6,584)
Dutch1.4%(5,180)
French1.1%(4,128)
Polish1%(3,780)
British0.6%(2,236)
Welsh0.5%(1,732)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.4%(1,567)
Russian0.4%(1,287)
Swedish0.3%(1,083)
Swiss0.1%(533)
Portuguese0.1%(441)
Hungarian0.1%(403)
Danish0.1%(377)
Greek0.1%(372)
Ukrainian0.1%(336)
Ethiopian0.4%(332)
Czech0.1%(311)
Canadian0.1%(225)
Austrian0.1%(203)
West Indian0.1%(202)
Finnish0.1%(190)
Palestinian0.2%(181)
Jamaican0%(155)
Brazilian0.1%(150)
Slovak0%(131)
Belgian0%(127)
Lebanese0%(107)
Iranian0%(70)
Romanian0%(66)
Serbian0%(46)
Armenian0%(44)
Slovene0%(39)
Croatian0%(32)
Turkish0%(18)
Haitian0%(16)
Syrian0%(15)
Egyptian0%(12)
Guyanese0%(10)
Latvian0%(5)
Arab0%(4)
RANKED:Largest American population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.1%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.7% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
84.1%
+13.7 ptssince 2000
from 70.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
6.0%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 4.0% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.5 min
+76%since 2000
from 13.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
84.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 84.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.2%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 10.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
59.3%
−2.5 ptssince 2011
from 61.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Management & professional
29.1%
−28.5 ptssince 2009
from 57.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
50.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
5.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.4%
−72.3 ptssince 2013
from 83.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married31.9%(48,470)
Married54.2%(82,251)
Widowed3.6%(5,423)
Divorced10.3%(15,564)
Women 15+
Never married23.8%(37,093)
Married50.9%(79,436)
Widowed11.1%(17,350)
Divorced14.2%(22,195)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
In this metro

Largest cities

HickoryCENTRAL45,975LenoirCENTRAL18,372MorgantonCENTRAL17,849Newton13,822Lake Norman of Catawba9,906St. Stephens9,457Conover8,938Long View5,387Sawmills5,105Granite Falls4,964Valdese4,712Bethlehem4,101Mountain View3,982Maiden3,922Hudson3,786Gamewell3,713Cajah's Mountain2,702Salem2,377Taylorsville2,333Icard2,153Claremont1,790Drexel1,764Northlakes1,716Hildebran1,691Glen Alpine1,552Connelly Springs1,550Stony Point1,372Blowing Rock1,324Rutherford College1,220Rhodhiss996

The 30 most populous of 34 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

4 component counties

Catawba CountyCENTRAL170,172Burke CountyCENTRAL88,655Caldwell CountyCENTRAL81,105Alexander County36,958
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Hickory

Lubbock
Pop 368,431
Flint
Pop 401,093
Fayetteville
Pop 395,412
Gainesville
Pop 359,036
Places similar to Hickory
Head to head

Compare Hickory side by side

HICKORY VS
Lubbock
Income$63,691+28%
Home value$202,881+46%
Population368,431−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HICKORY VS
Flint
Income$62,281+25%
Home value$182,400+31%
Population401,093+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HICKORY VS
Fayetteville
Income$61,788+24%
Home value$201,958+45%
Population395,412+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HICKORY VS
Gainesville
Income$61,360+23%
Home value$271,225+95%
Population359,036−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC has about 365,276 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The typical household in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC earns about $49,874 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC expensive?

In Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, the median home is worth about $139,095, and the typical rent is about $703 a month.

How educated are people in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

About 19.1% of adults age 25 and over in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

About 14.2% of people in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC live below the federal poverty line.

Has Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC grown since 1990?

Yes, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 72,867 residents, a change of about 25 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →