Hickory, NC vs Orange, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Hickory

70.8

#1056 nationally

Orange

63.3

#1780 nationally

Orange leads in median household income ($109,335 vs $58,251). Orange leads in walk score (51 vs 28). Hickory leads in cost of living index (98 vs 178).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Hickory, NC	Orange, CA
WhereAtHome Score	70.8 (#1056)	63.3 (#1780)
Population	44,415	138,337
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$298,293	$1,136,729
Median Household Income	$58,251	$109,335
Average Commute	19.6 min	26.5 min
Walk Score	28	51
Crime Level	11.2	6.2
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	98	178
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+38.0	D+2.6