Population

Melbourne

85,718

Hickory

43,747

Median Income

Melbourne

$64,504

Hickory

$63,361

Home Value

Melbourne

$272,900

Hickory

$248,300

Rent

Melbourne

$1,411

Hickory

$975

Crime Rate

Melbourne

9.03

Hickory

4.10

Cost of Living

Melbourne

115.7

Hickory

101.8

Avg Temp

Melbourne

N/A

Hickory

N/A

Unemployment

Melbourne

4.4%

Hickory

4.8%

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How Similar Are Melbourne & Hickory?

Hickory is Melbourne's #11 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Melbourne

85,718

vs

Hickory

43,747

Different · 49% difference

Melbourne has a 49% larger population than Hickory.

Violent Crime

Melbourne

9.03

vs

Hickory

4.10

Different · 55% difference
🚨

Melbourne's violent crime is significantly higher than Hickory's — 55% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Melbourne

30.20

vs

Hickory

28.24

Match · 6% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 6% difference.

Political Leaning

Melbourne

59.9%

vs

Hickory

70.3%

Different · 15% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Republican, but Hickory has a stronger Republican lean (15% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Melbourne

4.4%

vs

Hickory

4.8%

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 8% difference.

Median Income

Melbourne

$64,504

vs

Hickory

$63,361

Match · 2% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 2% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Melbourne

$272,900

vs

Hickory

$248,300

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 9% difference.

Education

Melbourne

24.1%

vs

Hickory

23.6%

Match · 2% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 2% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Melbourne

75.2%

vs

Hickory

68.3%

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.

Cost of Living

Melbourne

115.7

vs

Hickory

101.8

Different · 12% difference
💵

Melbourne has a 12% higher cost of living than Hickory.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Melbourne and Hickory share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Melbourne

vsof 8

0

Hickory

Melbourne leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Hickory leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Hickory has a fair market rent (1br) of $908 vs $1,478 in Melbourne (63% lower). Hickory has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,095 vs $1,709 in Melbourne (56% lower). Hickory scores 112.5 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 144.0 in Melbourne.

Overall Cost Index

Melbourne115.7
Hickory101.8

Housing Index

Melbourne144.0
Hickory112.5

Food Index

Melbourne99.3
Hickory98.4

Transportation Index

Melbourne98.6
Hickory87.1

Healthcare Index

Melbourne99.4
Hickory98.7

Utilities Index

Melbourne108.4
Hickory101.6

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Melbourne$50,892
Hickory$44,778

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Melbourne$120,290
Hickory$105,840

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Melbourne$1,478
Hickory$908

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Melbourne$1,709
Hickory$1,095

Housing Market — Melbourne leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Hickory has a median rent of $975 vs $1,411 in Melbourne (45% 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 (10% higher).

Median Home Value

Melbourne$272,900
Hickory$248,300

Median Rent

Melbourne$1,411
Hickory$975

Median Property Tax

Melbourne$1,913
Hickory$1,904

Owner-Occupied

Melbourne60.3%
Hickory55.9%

Vacancy Rate

Melbourne11.7%
Hickory10.4%

Single-Family Homes

Melbourne63.1%
Hickory59.0%

Jobs & Economy — Melbourne leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Melbourne: 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

Melbourne$64,504
Hickory$63,361

Per Capita Income

Melbourne$36,715
Hickory$36,266

Poverty Rate

Melbourne14.9%
Hickory16.9%

Unemployment Rate

Melbourne4.4%
Hickory4.8%

Labor Force

Melbourne42,351
Hickory21,334

Mean Commute

MelbourneN/A
Hickory18 min

Work from Home

Melbourne13.1%
Hickory11.0%

Private Sector

Melbourne96.0%
Hickory96.1%

Government Sector

Melbourne45.6%
Hickory46.0%

Crime & Safety — Hickory leads

Source: FBI UCR

Hickory 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)

Melbourne9.03
Hickory4.10

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Melbourne30.20
Hickory28.24

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Melbourne0.10
Hickory0.02

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Melbourne1.03
Hickory0.56

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Melbourne7.03
Hickory3.25

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Melbourne4.69
Hickory4.10

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Melbourne23.71
Hickory21.51

Violent Crime Clearance

Melbourne41.3%
Hickory43.2%

Property Crime Clearance

Melbourne19.8%
Hickory15.2%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

MelbourneN/A
HickoryN/A

Avg Annual High

MelbourneN/A
HickoryN/A

Avg Annual Low

MelbourneN/A
HickoryN/A

Sunny Days per Year

MelbourneN/A
HickoryN/A

Annual Rainfall

MelbourneN/A
HickoryN/A

Annual Snowfall

MelbourneN/A
HickoryN/A

Avg Humidity

MelbourneN/A
HickoryN/A

Schools & Education — Melbourne leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Melbourne 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

Melbourne0
Hickory0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

MelbourneN/A
HickoryN/A

Colleges & Universities

Melbourne0
Hickory0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Melbourne24.1%
Hickory23.6%

High School Diploma or Higher

Melbourne42.9%
Hickory39.0%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Melbourne 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

Melbourne85,718
Hickory43,747

Median Age

Melbourne42
Hickory38

Avg Household Size

Melbourne2.3
Hickory2.4

Married Population

Melbourne38.0%
Hickory38.0%

Foreign Born

Melbourne10.7%
Hickory8.9%

White

Melbourne75.2%
Hickory68.3%

Black

Melbourne9.8%
Hickory13.5%

Hispanic

Melbourne11.8%
Hickory13.9%

Asian

Melbourne3.2%
Hickory4.2%

Melbourne

Hickory

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Melbourne: 3.5 vs Hickory: 2.6 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Hickory: 5 vs Melbourne: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Melbourne5
Hickory5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Melbourne3.5
Hickory2.6

With Emergency Services

Melbourne4
Hickory5

Transportation & Commute — Melbourne leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Melbourne 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

MelbourneN/A
Hickory18 min

Drive Alone

Melbourne73.6%
Hickory73.3%

Public Transit

Melbourne1.3%
Hickory0.1%

Bicycle

Melbourne0.5%
Hickory0.1%

Work from Home

Melbourne13.1%
Hickory11.0%

Airports

Melbourne0
Hickory0

Cities Similar to Melbourne, FL

Compare Melbourne against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

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City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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