Hickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina, home to about 44,258 people across 31 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 28601 and 28602, and parts of 28613 and 28658 are in Hickory too.
Homes sold for a median of $177 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Hickory; also St. Stephens and Bethlehem
Mostly Hickory; also Mountain View and Long View
Mostly Conover; part is in Hickory
Mostly Newton; part is in Hickory
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Hickory. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Hickory’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)42 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Charlotte, NC46 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA449 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Hickory; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Hickory had 43,490 residents in the 2020 census, up 17% since 2000.
It’s the 25th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Catawba County grew from 22,133 residents in 1900 to 160,610 in 2020.
Catawba County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 30°F. About 47.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hickory Faa Ap, NC weather station (3 miles away).
85,704 jobs at 4,349 businesses in Catawba County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1,525 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Hickory’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 104 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 327 |
| Dentists | 86 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 364 |
| Mental health providers | 447 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 153 |
| Optometrists | 16 |
| Chiropractors | 28 |
| Pharmacies | 51 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (19 nearby)
Grocery stores (12 nearby)
Pharmacies (8 nearby)
Libraries (4 nearby)
Museums (4 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (3 nearby)
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1870.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Catawba County Schools, Hickory City Schools, Burke County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clyde Campbell ElementaryHickory | Pre-K–6 | 505 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Oakwood ElementaryHickory | Pre-K–5 | 336 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Ray Childers ElementaryHickory | Pre-K–5 | 460 | Public | 5.5 mi |
| Snow Creek ElementaryHickory | Pre-K–6 | 551 | Public | 5.2 mi |
| Southwest PrimaryHickory | Pre-K–2 | 292 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| Viewmont ElementaryHickory | Pre-K–5 | 509 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Webb A Murray ElementaryHickory | Pre-K–6 | 380 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| Mountain View ElementaryHickory | K–6 | 708 | Public | 5.4 mi |
| W M Jenkins ElementaryHickory | K–5 | 276 | Public | 3.6 mi |
| Longview ElementaryHickory | 3–5 | 269 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Grandview MiddleHickory | 6–8 | 347 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Northview MiddleHickory | 6–8 | 481 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| Harry M Arndt MiddleHickory | 7–8 | 601 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Challenger Early College HighHickory | 9–12 | 376 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| Hickory Career Arts Magnet High SchoolHickory | 9–12 | 201 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Hickory HighHickory | 9–12 | 1,024 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Saint Stephens HighHickory | 9–12 | 1,268 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory Christian AcademyHickory | Pre-K–12 | 529 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 3.6 mi |
| St Stephen Lutheran SchoolHickory | Pre-K–8 | 183 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 2.7 mi |
| Tabernacle Christian SchoolHickory | Pre-K–12 | 389 | Baptist | 3.1 mi |
| Johnston Wh Elementary SchoolHickory | K–8 | 22 | Seventh-day Adventist | 2.4 mi |
| Cornerstone Christian AcademyHickory | 3–11 | 29 | Baptist | 0.5 mi |
| University Christian High SchoolHickory | 9–12 | 151 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Newton, Conover, St. Stephens, Mountain View, Long View, Bethlehem, Northlakes, Maiden, Rhodhiss and Brookford.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.