Asheville vs Hickory
Asheville, North Carolina versus Hickory, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Asheville and Hickory score about the same overall (49 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Asheville | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $64k | $58k |
| Cost of Living | $58k | $47k |
| Home Value | $377k | $234k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $917 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.72% | 0.80% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.04% | 10.04% |
| Unemployment | 4.1% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 38°F | 40°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.0 in | 47.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 11.5 in | 0.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 233 days | 187 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 91 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 41.7 | 51.2 |
| Air Quality | 41 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 48.9 | 35.4 |
| Violent Crime | 2665/100k | 1204/100k |
| Property Crime | 5138/100k | 3504/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 93,695 | 43,352 |
| Median Age | 40.5 | 37.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.33 | 0.49 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+21 | R+38 |
| White (%) | 78.4% | 65.5% |
| Black (%) | 10.4% | 13.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.2% | 13.2% |
| Asian (%) | 1.5% | 4.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.6% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 18 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 13.4/20 | 8.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 94 mi | 40 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.9% | 87.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 44.83 | 22.84 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Asheville or Hickory more affordable?
- Hickory has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Asheville's $58k and Hickory's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Asheville versus $917 in Hickory.
- Is Asheville or Hickory safer?
- Hickory has the lower violent crime rate. Asheville reports 2665/100k and Hickory reports 1204/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Asheville or Hickory?
- The median home value is $377k in Asheville and $234k in Hickory, so homes are more affordable in Hickory.