Hickory, NC vs Lake Norman of Iredell, NC

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricHickory, NCLake Norman of Iredell, NC
Population44,25812,494
Median Household Income$64,576$173,542
Median Rent$1,063/mo$1,327/mo
Median Home Value$278,400$887,400
Cost of Living (US = 100)8997
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income37.1%40.4%
Poverty Rate17.1%2.5%
Unemployment Rate3.9%3.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k561142*
Property Crime Rate /100k2,910485*
Median AQI42—
Good AQI Days /yr239—
Summer Highs86°F87°F
Winter Lows32°F33°F
Snowfall0 in/yr5 in/yr
Avg Commute21.1 min29.9 min
Hospitals2—
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher1615.1
College Degree Rate37.1%67.2%
Foreign-Born %9.6%5.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+5.4%—

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Lake Norman of Iredell (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.