Gastonia vs Hickory
Gastonia, 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.
Hickory edges out Gastonia on overall objective livability (50 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Gastonia | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $58k | $58k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $47k |
| Home Value | $220k | $234k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $917 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.02% | 0.80% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.66% | 10.04% |
| Unemployment | 5.6% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 43°F | 40°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.4 in | 47.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.2 in | 0.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 187 days | 187 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 79 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 25.1 | 51.2 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 34.3 | 35.4 |
| Violent Crime | 2357/100k | 1204/100k |
| Property Crime | 3970/100k | 3504/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 80,615 | 43,352 |
| Median Age | 37.8 | 37.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.57 | 0.49 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | R+28 | R+38 |
| White (%) | 53.8% | 65.5% |
| Black (%) | 29.7% | 13.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 10.4% | 13.2% |
| Asian (%) | 1.1% | 4.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.0% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 8.1/20 | 8.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 15 mi | 40 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 84.5% | 87.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 10.30 | 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 Gastonia or Hickory more affordable?
- Hickory has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Gastonia's $54k and Hickory's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Gastonia versus $917 in Hickory.
- Is Gastonia or Hickory safer?
- Hickory has the lower violent crime rate. Gastonia reports 2357/100k and Hickory reports 1204/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Gastonia or Hickory?
- The median home value is $220k in Gastonia and $234k in Hickory, so homes are more affordable in Gastonia.