© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
North Carolina
Boone
Population 20,032
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
North Carolina
Hickory
Population 44,258
Boone, NC vs Hickory, NC
Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.
| Metric | Boone, NC | Hickory, NC |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,032 | 44,258 |
| Median Household Income | $30,065 | $64,576 |
| Median Rent | $1,111/mo | $1,063/mo |
| Median Home Value | $411,100 | $278,400 |
| Cost of Living (US = 100) | — | 89 |
| Renters Paying 30%+ of Income | 74.2% | 37.1% |
| Poverty Rate | 51.2% | 17.1% |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.5% (county) | 3.9% |
| Violent Crime Rate /100k | 158 | 561 |
| Property Crime Rate /100k | 940 | 2,910 |
| Median AQI | — | 42 |
| Good AQI Days /yr | — | 239 |
| Summer Highs | 78°F | 86°F |
| Winter Lows | 23°F | 32°F |
| Snowfall | 26 in/yr | 0 in/yr |
| Avg Commute | 15.8 min | 21.1 min |
| Hospitals | 1 | 2 |
| Avg Hospital Rating | 3.0 / 5 | 2.0 / 5 |
| Students per Teacher | 11.8 | 16 |
| College Degree Rate | 56.8% | 37.1% |
| Foreign-Born % | 4.5% | 9.6% |
| Population Growth (2020–2025) | +4.2% | +5.4% |
Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.