Rents are right about where Hickory's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,522 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
March. Asking rents in Hickory usually run 1.9% below trend in March and 1.3% above it in October, about $49 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.
Rent in Hickory is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in October 2021.
Rent in Hickory changed +3.7% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 North Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.9%.
Rent rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($64,576) is $1,614 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,420); a 4-bedroom is $1,670.
Newton, 9 miles away, rents for 11% less ($1,348/mo), about $2,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Hickory. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Hickory, NC is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 37.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Hickory, NC has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2022, rent in Hickory, NC has climbed by $220 per month, settling near $1,522 after starting the period at $1,302. Household income in the area moved from $53,117 to $64,576 across the same window, up 21.6% versus 2021. Income growth outran rent by about 4.7 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 42,831 to 44,258 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.3% change. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Hickory, NC look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Can you afford rent in Hickory on your salary?
At $1,522/mo, how Hickory rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Hickory rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Hickory. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Hickory
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Hickory is $1,522/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $870/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,115/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $910/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,420/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($64,576/yr), Hickory ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Hickory rent compare to other cities in North Carolina?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Hickory?
At $1,522/mo, rent takes ~28% of Hickory's median household income ($64,576/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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