MetricNewton, NCHickory, NC
Population13,33344,258
Median Household Income$62,015$64,576
Median Rent$1,091/mo$1,063/mo
Median Home Value$186,300$278,400
Cost of Living (US = 100)8989
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income42.9%37.1%
Poverty Rate12%17.1%
Unemployment Rate3.7% (county)3.9%
Violent Crime Rate /100k439561
Property Crime Rate /100k2,3622,910
Median AQI4242
Good AQI Days /yr239239
Summer Highs87°F86°F
Winter Lows33°F32°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute21.7 min21.1 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—2.0 / 5
Students per Teacher15.916
College Degree Rate21%37.1%
Foreign-Born %9.6%9.6%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+5.3%+5.4%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.