Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every North Carolina ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

DHickorySafer than 11% of U.S. towns D−SalisburySafer than 3% of U.S. towns

Schools

BHickoryBetter than 62% of districts in the state CSalisburyBetter than 34% of districts in the state

Health

B−HickoryHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns C−SalisburyHealthier than 24% of U.S. towns

16Hickory

5Salisbury

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 81 towns #9#61 Lowest depressionHealth · 296 towns #214#28 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 297 towns #186#15 Most trailsOutdoors · 177 towns #126#50 Best schoolsSchools · 252 towns #116#217 Most activeHealth · 296 towns #151#222 HealthiestHealth · 296 towns #159#227 Most remote workersWork · 285 towns #116#181

Left end = #1 in North Carolina. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Hickory’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Hickory$1,730/mo

Typical home $295K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.74% · or rent about $1,063/mo · Housing →

Salisbury$1,680/mo

Typical home $282K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $1,071/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

HickorySalisbury

Snow a year0″2″

January low—29°F

July high—88°F

Growing season (days)—208d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)31st 43rd

Outdoors & history

HickorySalisbury

Trails8 mi 15 mi

Conserved land5.4%3.8%

Settled1870 1763

National Register places24 38

Archive photos12 12

Famous people born here46 —

Community

HickorySalisbury

Library hours a week58 hrs 54 hrs

Colleges in town2 4

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

47 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HickoryNC SalisburyNC

Hickory ↔ Salisbury47 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs North Carolina average

HickorySalisbury

People

Population 44,258Highest 35,825Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.7%Highest NC: +9.5% +5.6%Lowest NC: +9.5%

Median age 37.5±2.4Highest 4% below NC 36.5±2Lowest 7% below NC

Hickory and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 21.3%±1.9Lowest NC: 21.8% 21.9%±2.3Highest NC: 21.8%

Salisbury and Hickory are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.1%±1.4 NC: 17.2% 17.1%±1.5 NC: 17.2%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 37.1%Highest NC: 35.7% 29.9%Lowest NC: 35.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.9%±1.2Lowest NC: 6.4% 9.4%±1.8Highest NC: 6.4%

Salisbury and Hickory are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $64,576±$5kHighest 11% below NC $53,716±$4kLowest 26% below NC

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $278,400±$19kHighest 4% below NC $242,500±$18kLowest 16% below NC

Hickory and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,063±$63Lowest 13% below NC $1,071±$81Highest 13% below NC

Salisbury and Hickory are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,066Lowest 9% above NC $2,082Highest 10% above NC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40.3%±5.6Lowest NC: 48.9% 53.8%±7Highest NC: 48.9%

Below poverty line 17.1%Lowest NC: 13% 26.3%Highest NC: 13%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 55%Highest NC: 66.6% 51.8%Lowest NC: 66.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1982Highest 9 yrs older than NC 1976Lowest 15 yrs older than NC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 16% below NC 22 minHighest 13% below NC

Work from home 12.9%±2.7Highest NC: 16.3% 8.7%±2.2Lowest NC: 16.3%

Hickory and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 32.9%Highest 24.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.8 miLowest 21.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.33Highest 1.96Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Charlotte (8%)Charlotte (14%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SalisburyFew work in Hickory

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.4%Highest 3.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 8.1 miLowest 14.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 16Highest 14Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.1Lowest 63.2Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #116 of 252 in NC #217 of 252 in NC

School district Catawba County Schools · Hickory City SchoolsRowan-Salisbury Schools

High school in town Hickory HighSalisbury High

Students per teacherat that high school 26.7Highest 19.6Lowest

North Carolina average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Hickory neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hickory’s Town Square.

Salisbury neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Salisbury’s Town Square.

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Bordering Hickory

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St. Stephens9,457 people · $213K homes

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Mountain View3,982 people · $223K homes

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Long View5,011 people · $157K homes

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Brookford390 people · $131K homes

Towns like Hickory

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Kernersville27,830 people · $291K homes

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New Bern32,734 people · $240K homes

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Burlington59,610 people · $199K homes

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Mooresville52,381 people · $391K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Hickory vs Salisbury

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Hickory places higher on 16 of 21 NC lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

47 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hickory and Salisbury

Bordering Hickory

Towns like Hickory

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