Hickory at a glance
| County | Mostly Catawba County; the city also reaches into Burke and Caldwell counties |
|---|---|
| Population | 43,490 (2020 Census); about 45,975 (Census estimate, 2025) |
| Catawba County | 160,610 (2020 Census); about 170,172 (2025 estimate) |
| Metro area | Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton: 365,308 (2020 Census) |
| Median sale price | About $320K (Redfin Data Center, Jun–Aug 2026) |
| Main roads | I-40 (exits 121, 123, 125, 126, 128 and 130 serve Hickory) and US-321 |
| Hospitals | Frye Regional Medical Center; Catawba Valley Medical Center |
| Nearest major airport | Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) |
Where Hickory is, and how the commute works
Hickory sits on I-40 in the western Piedmont, where the foothills start. Uptown Charlotte is about 58 miles away, usually around an hour by car. Asheville is about 75 miles west and Winston-Salem about 68 miles east, both on I-40. US-321 runs north through Hickory toward Lenoir, Blowing Rock and Boone, and south toward Gastonia.
If you'll commute to Charlotte or Lake Norman, look at the south and east sides of town, or at Newton and Maiden, to cut some time off the drive.
Cost of living: property taxes
Your tax bill comes from Catawba County, and if the home is inside Hickory city limits, the city rate is added. Catawba County adopted its FY2026–27 budget in June 2026 with the rate unchanged at 39.85 cents per $100 of assessed value. The Hickory city manager's recommended FY2026–27 budget kept the city rate at 46 cents per $100. Inside the city, that's roughly 86 cents per $100 combined, before any fire or special district tax. Homes outside the city pay the county rate plus any fire district tax.
Tip: Because Hickory spans three counties and has been annexing land, two homes a mile apart can have very different tax bills. I'll check the county, the city limits and the school system for any home before you make an offer.
Schools and colleges
Two public school systems serve Hickory addresses. Hickory Public Schools, founded in 1903, serves much of the city with about 4,100 students; its high schools are Hickory High (1234 3rd Street NE) and Hickory Career & Arts Magnet High. Many other Hickory addresses are in Catawba County Schools, including St. Stephens High (3205 34th Street Drive NE) and Fred T. Foard High. Catawba County has an online school locator; always confirm for the exact address.
Hickory is a college town, too:
- Lenoir-Rhyne University, founded in 1891, at 625 7th Avenue NE.
- Appalachian State University's Hickory campus, opened in 2023 at 800 17th Street NW.
- Catawba Valley Community College, with its 162-acre main campus in Hickory.
Things to do in Hickory
- City Walk and the Riverwalk: City Walk, which opened in December 2021, runs along Main Avenue from Lenoir-Rhyne through downtown. The 2.3-mile Riverwalk along Lake Hickory opened in April 2024.
- Hickory Crawdads: Single-A minor league baseball (a Texas Rangers affiliate) at L.P. Frans Stadium.
- Downtown and Union Square: the downtown farmers market runs on Union Square year-round, Wednesdays and Saturdays from April through October and Saturdays the rest of the year. The Sails Original Music Series plays on Friday nights in May, June and September.
- Hickory Museum of Art: on the SALT Block at 243 3rd Avenue NE, open again after a renovation.
- Oktoberfest: downtown Hickory's big fall festival, October 9–11, 2026.
- Parks: Glenn C. Hilton Jr. Memorial Park with disc golf and a canoe launch, and Bakers Mountain Park, a county park with the highest point in Catawba County.
- Lake Hickory: boating and fishing on about 4,223 acres. See the Lake Hickory guide.
- Hickory Motor Speedway: short-track racing on US-70, just over the line in Newton.
A little history
Hickory started as Hickory Tavern, a tavern Henry Robinson ran under a hickory tree near a stagecoach junction. The town received its first charter in 1863, was incorporated as the Town of Hickory Tavern in 1870, shortened its name to Hickory in 1873 and became a city in 1889. Furniture and hosiery mills built the local economy. Hickory was named an All-America City in 1967, 1987 and 2007.
Jobs and the local economy
The Catawba County Economic Development Corporation's list of the county's largest employers includes Corning Optical Communications, CommScope and Prysmian (the area makes a large share of the world's fiber-optic cable), furniture makers Century Furniture, McCreary Modern and Lee Industries, GKN ePowertrain, a Target distribution center, Performance Food Group, both hospital systems, the school systems and Catawba Valley Community College.
Where to live in Hickory
It depends on your budget and lifestyle. My Hickory neighborhoods guide covers the historic districts and established neighborhoods. If you want something brand new, see new construction near Hickory. For a smaller town, look at Newton, Conover and Maiden.