All American City Hickory, North Carolina

And we're on the road again…

Well today we’re starting another journey across North Carolina and South Carolina.

I got such a great response to my series on best places to live in North Carolina and South Carolina with populations under 30,000 people that we’re going to take a step up.

Today we're going to begin visiting some of my best places to live, to relocate or retire to with populations between 30,000 and 50,000 people in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Now there aren’t as many cities and towns as you’d think so we’re going to take them one at a time and and spend a little more time talking about what we like about them.

As always keep in mind what I look for in a city or town to make it onto my list of the best places to live in North Carolina and South Carolina.

• Affordability
• Climate
• Future Economic Growth
• Housing

Let's get going…

I’m so excited I can’t wait so let’s take a look at the first place on our journey, Hickory, NC, population 41,305.

I know, I know some people don't like Hickory but I wouldn't be so fast to count it out.

Situated only an hour west of the Blue Ridge Mountains on I-40, Hickory, NC is often referred to as the “Furniture Capital of the World”.

Almost 60% of the nation’s furniture is produced in the area  but a number of factors have made Hickory one of the best places to relocate and retire to in North Carolina.

In fact, Hickory’s combination of pleasant climate, low cost of living and affordable housing has helped its population grow by almost 30% over the last 20 years.

I’ve personally always found Hickory, NC a vibrant, beautiful and welcoming city with a downtown that has most everything I look for in a best place .

Take a stroll along cobbled brick sidewalks past inviting storefronts containing charming specialty shops, modern art galleries, quaint restaurants and a number of furniture showrooms and you’ll see what I mean.

Better yet, green spaces and small parks offer calm and relaxation while a variety of historic monuments add to your sense of time and place.

Also, many fun things to see and do lie only blocks away including the Catawba Science Center and the Hickory Museum of Art.

Hickory, NC has a number of beautiful neighborhoods not far from downtown with well-kept homes of all shapes and sizes that only enhance its welcoming small town atmosphere.

In general the local housing market is dominated by single family homes but townhomes, condominiums, multifamily homes, manufactured homes, apartments, farmland and undeveloped plots of land are also available.

You’ll find the median home value in Hickory is around $111,303 with a respectable median home size of a little over 1620 square feet.

The median age of the local housing stock in Hickory is only around 28 years old which suggests a good deal of recent housing development and those looking to build can expect to pay a low $78 a square foot.

Property taxes in Hickory, NC and the surrounding area haven’t gone up in almost fifteen years but the median property tax bill is about $1370 a year.

For those of you not looking to buy a home, roughly 40% of Hickory residents are renters and the rental market for single family homes, townhomes, condominiums and apartments in Hickory and the surrounding area is quite good and equally affordable.  You can expect an average rental cost starting at around $523 a month.

Younger families moving to Hickory can rest assured their children have a variety of school choices.  The Hickory and Catawba County public schools systems serve nearly 10,000 students across 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 high schools and there are a variety of private and parochial school options available to you as well.

If you’re a lifelong learner and interested in college or continuing education classes you may want to look at the Catawba Valley Community College, the Appalachian Center at Hickory or historic Lenoir-Rhyne University.

You’ll also love the fact that Hickory, NC is not far from some of the most beautiful parts of the state.

Mountains, lakes, fast moving streams and all types of outdoor recreation are only a car drive away.

Better yet, being situated not far from the mountains, Hickory enjoys a pleasant four season climate that is not overly hot in the summer nor particularly cold in the winter.

The average precipitation hovers around 50 inches per year so you can also expect at least 300 days of sunshine a year.  Wow!  I love that.

Well I hope you’ve enjoyed our tour of Hickory, NC and understand why its on my list of the best towns and cities in North Carolina with populations between 30,000 and 50,000.

Don't take my word for it that Hickory, NC could be Your best place to live.

Check it out for yourself….watch my video of Hickory, NC

Next week we’ll be visiting another best place to relocate or retire to in North Carolina and South Carolina.

If you want anymore info on Hickory, NC or other places in North Carolina, check out my NC Best Places section.

See You Next Week!

About Bob Bencivenga

Bob Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location analyst for major corporations and has been researching the growth of NC and SC to find the Best Places to Retire or Relocate that are still affordable.

Visit his blog The Carolina Report and sign up for FREE updates by email,his FREE Affordable Best Places To Live Report and, get FREE Expert Advice on how to find Your Best Place to Retire or Relocate to in North Carolina and South Carolina, additional resources, and a lot more. Bob does not sell real estate.

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