Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Hickory, North Carolina
A $248,000 home here costs
$1,934per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,275. The real number is $659 higher every month — 52% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Hickory against Catawba County and North Carolina
| Measure | Hickory | Catawba County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $248,300 | $218,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,904 | $1,319 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.767% | 0.605% |
| Median gross rent | $975 | $891 |
| Population | 43,747 | 162,051 |
Hickory extends across 3 counties. Figures here use Catawba County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Hickory sits in Catawba County, which averages a high of 88.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.3°F in its coldest, with 46.62" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,556 cooling and 3,297 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Catawba County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Catawba County
Full Catawba County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Hickory?
A $248,000 home in Hickory, North Carolina costs approximately $1,934 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,275 principal and interest, $159 property tax, $90 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $207 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Hickory?
Hickory has an effective property tax rate of 0.767%, based on a median home value of $248,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,904. That is higher than the Catawba County average of 0.605%.
What is the average home price in Hickory?
The median owner-occupied home value in Hickory, North Carolina is $248,300, against $218,100 across Catawba County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hickory?
Median gross rent in Hickory is $975 a month, against $1,934 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Hickory — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.