City Town Info

Hickory, North Carolina


  • Overview
  • Almanac
  • People
  • Local
  • Schools
  • Comments

Hickory, North Carolina

Introduction to Hickory, North Carolina

Hickory is located in Catawba County in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The city is recognized as the economic and cultural center of the Catawba River Valley. Hickory is situated in the nation's prominent furniture manufacturing region.

History

Hickory was established by Henry Weidner who migrated to the region from Montgomery Pennsylvania. In 1750, along with his brother-in-law he acquired a land grant which included thousands of acres of land. During the 1790's Henry Robinson built a tavern located under an enormous hickory tree in the northwest portion of Catawba County. The region took the name Hickory Tavern and the name stayed attached to the area for about 100 years. In 1859 the railroad reached Hickory Tavern and caused a significant increase in the population. In 1870 the city was incorporated and in 1891 Lenoir-Rhyne College was established by Lutheran pastors.

Hickory and the surrounding region is well known as a center for making furniture. Hickory White, formerly named Hickory Manufacturing Company is regarded as one of the oldest furniture manufacturing companies in the country. The "Miracle of Hickory" occurred in 1944 when a devastating outbreak of polio swept the region. During the outbreak the citizens in the area along with the March of Dimes built a hospital for the children who were victims of polio. They transformed buildings that were part of a summer camp and the hospital was ready for patients in two and a half days.

Transportation

Hickory is served by the Charlotte/Douglas Intl. Airport. The Piedmont Wagon Transit System provides transportation for the county.

Attractions

  • Hickory Museum of Art is recognized as the first museum in the Southeast to have a substantial collection of American art.
  • Catawaba Science Center.
  • Hickory Motor Speedway.
  • Hickory Crawdads Minor League Baseball.
  • Hiddenite Gems offers visitors the opportunity to dig and sluice for gems such as amethyst, emeralds, aquamarines, smoky quartz and sapphires.
  • The Ivey Arboretum in Carolina Park features hundreds of rare trees and shrubs.
  • Hickory Community Concert Association hosts concerts by well known performers.
  • Hickory is well known as a major manufacturing and shopping area for furniture. The Hickory Furniture Mart is the most popular tourist attraction in the area.

Higher Education

Hickory is home to Lenoir-Rhyne College, Catawba Valley Community College and HMHEC. Lenoir-Rhine College is a private liberal arts college.

Contact Accredited Schools With Online Options

Matching School Ads
Matching School Ads

High Points

Hickory strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in North Carolina):

Category Trophy
Short Commute Times
(vs. State)
Top 9% Hickory Short Commute Times
Well-Paid Single Men
(vs. State)
Top 16% Hickory Well-Paid Single Men
College Educated Adults
(vs. State)
Top 19% Hickory College Educated Adults
Well-Paid Single Women
(vs. State)
Top 19% Hickory Well-Paid Single Women

Comparative Profile of Hickory, North Carolina

Comparing Hickory to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in North Carolina (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

Characteristic Compared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Racial Diversity 7 9
Female Share of the Population 7 4
Senior Citizens 7 4
Well-Paid Single Women 6 9
Children Under 5 Years Old 6 7
Well-Paid Single Men 6 9
Age of the Population 5 3
Male Share of the Population 4 7

Families

Characteristic Compared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Portion of People Married 4 5
Average Household Size 3 4

Wealth

Characteristic Compared
to Peers
Compared
to State
College Educated Adults 7 9
People in Middle Class or Better 5 8
People Above Poverty 5 7
Median Family Income 5 8

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic Compared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Short Commute Times 9 10
Walking and Biking to Work 5 8
Working at Home 2 4
Public Transportation Use 2 8

Housing

Characteristic Compared
to Peers
Compared
to State
People Living Alone 8 7
Affordability of Rents 8 3
Affordability of Property Taxes 8 2
Seasonal and Vacation Housing 7 5
Housing Recently Built 6 6
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals 5 9

Crime

Characteristic Compared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Low Violent Crime 2 3
Low Property Crime 1 2

Detailed pages on related topics: Colleges in Hickory
You are visiting:
All StatesNorth Carolina > Hickory

Find a school near you

Additional Details

Hickory Careers Hickory Careers
Hickory career and employment information.
Hickory Colleges Hickory Colleges
Hickory colleges and trade schools.

Study Online in Hickory

Matching School Ads
Matching School Ads

Career and College Resources on CityTownInfo

Real-World Career Reports

Career Stories from workers: daily activities, job tips, best/worst job aspects, training, etc.

Daily Career & Education News from our staff. We're an approved Google News provider!

Career References and Original Articles

Resource Center. A starting point for all CityTownInfo career and college resources.

Career Overviews of hundreds of careers: descriptions, salaries, forecasts, schools, more.

Best Careers Not Requiring Degrees: Good pay, job growth, low need for degrees.

Helpful Articles, many in "how-to" format; e.g., "How to Become a Chef".

Infographics covering employment and educational trends.

College Directories and Lists

These lists link to thousands of detailed school profiles.

Colleges by State. Nearly every college and trade school in the country.

Colleges Listed Alphabetically. About 7,000 colleges & trade schools, including online schools.

Colleges by Major City. Browse cities with multiple college options.

Online Colleges. Colleges with online degree programs.

Graduate Schools by State. Colleges offering graduate degree programs.

Graduate Schools by Major City. Find cities with multiple graduate school options.

Places Similar to Hickory

We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.

Find places similar to Hickory

Additional Resources

Large City Map

Info for Hickory Government Officials

Are you an official in the Hickory government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.

Spread The Word

Webmasters & Bloggers: Please link to this page on Hickory. Just copy the HTML below and paste it into your web page or blog.

 

Copyright © 2005 - QuinStreet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Click to verify BBB accreditation and to see a BBB report. TRUSTe online privacy certification