Atwater, CA vs Hickory, NC

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.

Atwater

63.7

#1742 nationally

vs

Hickory

70.8

#1056 nationally

Hickory leads in crime level (11.2 vs 19.5). Atwater leads in walk score (41 vs 28). Hickory leads in average commute (19.6 min vs 28.2 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Atwater, CA Hickory, NC
WhereAtHome Score 63.7 (#1742) 70.8 (#1056)
Population 32,052 44,415
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $425,295 $298,293
Median Household Income $64,195 $58,251
Average Commute 28.2 min 19.6 min
Walk Score 41 28
Crime Level 19.5 11.2
School Rating N/A N/A
Cost of Living Index 119 98
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored R+4.4 R+38.0