Garden Grove, 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.

Garden Grove

63.2

#1788 nationally

vs

Hickory

70.8

#1056 nationally

Garden Grove leads in walk score (62 vs 28). Hickory leads in cost of living index (98 vs 165). Hickory leads in average commute (19.6 min vs 29.1 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Garden Grove, CA Hickory, NC
WhereAtHome Score 63.2 (#1788) 70.8 (#1056)
Population 168,234 44,415
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $1,015,470 $298,293
Median Household Income $86,139 $58,251
Average Commute 29.1 min 19.6 min
Walk Score 62 28
Crime Level 7.6 11.2
School Rating N/A N/A
Cost of Living Index 165 98
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+2.6 R+38.0