Lucy Alvarez qa Feb 3, 2026

Hello, We have two kids and It's a a smaller city city with about 43,747 people. Household incomes average around $63,361 in Hickory. Poverty rate is 11.9%, which is around average. The weather takes some getting used to. Downtown has improved a lot in recent years. Worth the trade-offs? Public transit needs a lot of work honestly. Cost of living is definitely rising, but still manageable. It's changing fast -some good, some not so much. The weather takes some getting used to. The parks and outdoor areas are a huge plus.

18 upvotes