Commercial Real Estate Market in Hickory, NC
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
225 active listings and 2,889 off-market properties in Hickory, NC.
Market Trends
Hickory, NC spans 117.7 square miles in Catawba County, North Carolina. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Hickory, NC runs 20.2% across the South region in 2025, up from 14.4% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Hickory, NC runs 5.4% across the South region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Hickory, NC runs 7.9% across the South region in 2025, up from 6% in 2019. Nearly 2.3x the 2022 low of 3.5%.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Hickory, NC runs 11.3% across the South region in 2025, up from 8.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 62.7%
- Industrial 18.9%
- Commercial 11.2%
- Civic 4.1%
- Planned_development 3.2%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Medium Density Residential 2
Low Density Residential
Industrial
High Density Residential 4
Medium Density Residential 3
Hickory, NC zones 27,373 acres across 14 districts. Commercial zoning covers 11.2% of zoned land, residential 62.7% and industrial 18.9%. The largest single district is Medium Density Residential 2 at 24.2%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 30.1% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Medium Density Residential 2 (R-2)
The R-2 zoning district is composed of predominantly single family detached development. It allows a maximum density of 4 dwelling units per acre. Public infrastructure is required to serve this type of development.
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Hickory, NC has 83,157 residents in 36,341 households. Density runs 706 people per square mile. Median household income here is $63,695 and median gross rent $909 a month.
83,157
Population
36,341
Households
2.3
Avg Household Size
42
Median Age
29%
College-Educated
89%
High-School Grad
117.7 sq mi
ZIP Area
706
Density / Sq Mi
$63,695
Median Household Income
$39,880
Median Earnings
$909
Median Rent
$216,517
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater | — | — |
| Long View | — | — |
| Mountain View | — | — |
| Hildebran | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What zoning applies to commercial property in Hickory?
Hickory, NC zones 27,373 acres across 14 districts, of which 11.2% is commercial and 18.9% industrial. The largest single district is Medium Density Residential 2 at 24.2% of zoned land. The R-2 zoning district is composed of predominantly single family detached development. It allows a maximum density of 4 dwelling units per acre. Public infrastructure is required to serve this type of development. Residential zoning covers 62.7% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Hickory market data come from?
Realmo compiles Hickory, NC figures from 7 recent recorded sales, 192 active sale listings, 33 active lease listings, 2,889 tracked off-market properties, the current Hickory zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 192 active for-sale and 33 active for-lease listings in Hickory, NC. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 27,373 zoned acres across 14 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at South region level, retail vacancy is reported at South region level and industrial vacancy is reported at South region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
