Population
Hickory
43,747
Melbourne
85,718
Median Income
Hickory
$63,361
Melbourne
$64,504
Home Value
Hickory
$248,300
Melbourne
$272,900
Rent
Hickory
$975
Melbourne
$1,411
Crime Rate
Hickory
4.10
Melbourne
9.03
Cost of Living
Hickory
101.8
Melbourne
115.7
Avg Temp
Hickory
N/A
Melbourne
N/A
Unemployment
Hickory
4.8%
Melbourne
4.4%
How Similar Are Hickory & Melbourne?
Melbourne is Hickory's #16 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Hickory
43,747
Melbourne
85,718
Melbourne has a 49% larger population than Hickory.
Violent Crime
Hickory
4.10
Melbourne
9.03
Melbourne's violent crime is significantly higher than Hickory's — 55% difference.
Property Crime
Hickory
28.24
Melbourne
30.20
Both cities have similar property crime — just a 6% difference.
Political Leaning
Hickory
70.3%
Melbourne
59.9%
Both cities lean Republican, but Hickory has a stronger Republican lean (15% difference).
Unemployment
Hickory
4.8%
Melbourne
4.4%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 8% difference.
Median Income
Hickory
$63,361
Melbourne
$64,504
Both cities have similar median income — just a 2% difference.
Home Values
Hickory
$248,300
Melbourne
$272,900
Both cities have similar home values — just a 9% difference.
Education
Hickory
23.6%
Melbourne
24.1%
Both cities have similar education — just a 2% difference.
Demographics
Hickory
68.3%
Melbourne
75.2%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.
Cost of Living
Hickory
101.8
Melbourne
115.7
Melbourne has a 12% higher cost of living than Hickory.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Hickory and Melbourne share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Hickory
0
Melbourne
Melbourne leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Hickory leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDHickory has a fair market rent (1br) of $908 vs $1,478 in Melbourne (39% lower). Hickory has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,095 vs $1,709 in Melbourne (36% lower). Hickory scores 112.5 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 144.0 in Melbourne.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Melbourne leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSHickory has a median rent of $975 vs $1,411 in Melbourne (31% lower). Hickory has a vacancy rate of 10.4% compared to 11.7% in Melbourne. Melbourne has a median home value of $272,900 vs $248,300 in Hickory (9% higher).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Melbourne leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMelbourne: 42,351 vs Hickory: 21,334 for labor force. Melbourne has a work from home of 13.1% compared to 11.0% in Hickory. Melbourne has a poverty rate of 14.9% compared to 16.9% in Hickory.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Hickory leads
Source: FBI UCRHickory has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.02 compared to 0.10 in Melbourne. Hickory has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 4.10 compared to 9.03 in Melbourne. Hickory has a assault rate (per 1k) of 3.25 compared to 7.03 in Melbourne.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Melbourne leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauMelbourne has a high school diploma or higher of 42.9% compared to 39.0% in Hickory. Melbourne has a bachelor's degree or higher of 24.1% compared to 23.6% in Hickory.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMelbourne has a population of 85,718, about 2x the size of Hickory (43,747). Hickory skews younger with a median age of 37.7 vs 42.3.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Hickory
Melbourne
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareMelbourne: 3.5 vs Hickory: 2.6 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Hickory: 5 vs Melbourne: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Melbourne leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMelbourne has a public transit of 1.3% compared to 0.1% in Hickory. Melbourne has a bicycle of 0.5% compared to 0.1% in Hickory. Melbourne has a work from home of 13.1% compared to 11.0% in Hickory.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Hickory, NC
Compare Hickory against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.