Cost of living in Hickory research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Hickory is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Hickory is 97, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Hickory is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Hickory ranks as the #82 cheapest in North Carolina out of 153.
Hickory ranks as the #2,747 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Hickory is $199,100.
The median income in Hickory is $53,117.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Hickory has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Hickory has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than North Carolina's index of 95.
The standard of living in Hickory ranks as #82 most affordable out of the 153 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Hickory ranks as the #71 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Hickory, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Hickory. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Hickory is 106.
The Groceries index in Hickory is 101.
The Health index in Hickory is 102.
The Housing index in Hickory is 82.
The Transportation index in Hickory is 103.
The Utilities index in Hickory is 95.
Living Expense | Hickory | North Carolina | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 97 | 95 | 100 | |
Services | 106 | 97 | 100 | |
Groceries | 101 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 102 | 108 | 100 | |
Housing | 82 | 91 | 100 | |
Transportation | 103 | 92 | 100 | |
Utilities | 95 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Hickory is $199,100.
The Median Rent in Hickory is $812.
The Median Income in Hickory is $53,117.
The Home Value To Income in Hickory is 3.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Hickory is 0.18x.
Statistic | Hickory | North Carolina | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $199,100 | $197,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $812 | $988 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $53,117 | $60,516 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.7x | 3.3x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Hickory | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.0 | $1.06 |
Movie | $10.0 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $22.35 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $16.9 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $39.1 | $39.05 |
Item | Hickory | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.88 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.46 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.69 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.65 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.09 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.42 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.27 | $2.34 |
Item | Hickory | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $119.06 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $121.12 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $112.88 | $99.13 |
Item | Hickory | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.35 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $45.59 | $50.07 |
Item | Hickory | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $158.05 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.94 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Hickory. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lenoir, NC has a cost of living index of 87, 0.9x Hickory.
Newton, NC has a cost of living index of 92, 0.9x Hickory.
Lincolnton, NC has a cost of living index of 91, 0.9x Hickory.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Hickory |
---|---|---|---|
Lenoir, NC | 18,205 | 87 | 0.9x |
Newton, NC | 13,081 | 92 | 0.9x |
Lincolnton, NC | 10,926 | 91 | 0.9x |
St. Stephens, NC | 9,396 | 88 | 0.9x |
Conover, NC | 8,393 | 91 | 0.9x |
Sawmills, NC | 5,053 | 90 | 0.9x |