HousingPermits

Metro area in North Carolina · part of the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC combined area

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metro area authorized 3,136 new housing units in 2025. No year in the 2004–2025 record brought more permits than 2025, a distinction it shares with 16 other metro areas. Recent building has outrun the boom: the 2021–2025 yearly average was 52% above the 2004–2006 average, the second-largest recovery by this measure among the 85 metro areas of 250,000 to 499,999 residents.

01,0002,0003,0004,0002004: 1,885 units (1,575 single-family, 46 in 2–4 unit, 264 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 1,626 units (1,491 single-family, 30 in 2–4 unit, 105 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 1,553 units (1,489 single-family, 36 in 2–4 unit, 28 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 1,668 units (1,594 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 48 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 926 units (898 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 18 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 601 units (589 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 448 units (398 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 40 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 380 units (336 single-family, 44 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 335 units (293 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 40 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 428 units (426 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 594 units (454 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 122 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 805 units (538 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 241 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 655 units (587 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 44 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 880 units (725 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 145 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 1,336 units (893 single-family, 36 in 2–4 unit, 407 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 1,308 units (697 single-family, 34 in 2–4 unit, 577 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 1,567 units (965 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 578 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 1,880 units (1,302 single-family, 76 in 2–4 unit, 502 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 2,637 units (1,799 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 810 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,379 units (1,908 single-family, 72 in 2–4 unit, 399 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 2,775 units (2,310 single-family, 116 in 2–4 unit, 349 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 3,136 units (2,434 single-family, 197 in 2–4 unit, 505 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252025 high · 3,1362012 low · 33501,5003,0004,5002004: 1,885 units (1,575 single-family, 46 in 2–4 unit, 264 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 1,626 units (1,491 single-family, 30 in 2–4 unit, 105 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 1,553 units (1,489 single-family, 36 in 2–4 unit, 28 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 1,668 units (1,594 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 48 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 926 units (898 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 18 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 601 units (589 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 448 units (398 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 40 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 380 units (336 single-family, 44 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 335 units (293 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 40 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 428 units (426 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 594 units (454 single-family, 18 in 2–4 unit, 122 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 805 units (538 single-family, 26 in 2–4 unit, 241 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 655 units (587 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 44 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 880 units (725 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 145 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 1,336 units (893 single-family, 36 in 2–4 unit, 407 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 1,308 units (697 single-family, 34 in 2–4 unit, 577 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 1,567 units (965 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 578 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 1,880 units (1,302 single-family, 76 in 2–4 unit, 502 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 2,637 units (1,799 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 810 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 2,379 units (1,908 single-family, 72 in 2–4 unit, 399 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 2,775 units (2,310 single-family, 116 in 2–4 unit, 349 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 3,136 units (2,434 single-family, 197 in 2–4 unit, 505 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252025 high · 3,136

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 7 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Catawba County, with 8,332 units or 65% of the total, followed by Burke County (unincorporated) with 1,832. Among the three largest, Catawba County put 22% of its units in five-plus buildings, Caldwell County (unincorporated) 1.2%.

  • Catawba County65% (8,332 units)
  • Burke County (unincorporated)14% (1,832 units)
  • Caldwell County (unincorporated)12% (1,511 units)
  • Alexander County4.5% (574 units)
  • Morganton4.3% (549 units)
  • Rutherford College town0% (6 units)
  • Rutherford College town0% (3 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

Boom, bust and since

Its peak year is shared by 16 other metro areas, among them Gainesville, FL, Spartanburg, Savannah. Annual permits fell from 1,885 during the mid-2000s boom to 335 in 2012, a drop of 82%. The nearest bust profile in the South Atlantic states was Burlington, NC's (82%). From 2024 to 2025 the count rose 13%.

Relative to population

With 376,890 residents in July 2025, Hickory authorized 6.9 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, 1.5 times the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Denver (6.9) and Greenville, NC (6.9).

Houses or apartments

In Hickory, 76% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 20% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Chambersburg (20% in five-plus buildings). That share has risen sharply since 2004–2006, when it stood at 7.8%. Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2022 (810), single-family houses in 2025 (2,434).

2021–202576.2%76%3.8%20.0%20%2004–200689.9%90%2.2%7.8%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202576.2%76%3.8%20.0%20%2004–200689.9%90%2.2%7.8%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

The wider Charlotte-Concord region

The Census Bureau groups Hickory with one neighboring metro area in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 29,546 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Hickory accounted for 8.7%. The other, with its yearly average: Charlotte (26,985).

Where in the metro

Catawba County accounted for 65% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Burke County for 19%.

  • Catawba County65% (1,944 in 2025)
  • Burke County19% (588 in 2025)
  • Caldwell County12% (501 in 2025)
  • Alexander County4.5% (103 in 2025)

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Eugene-Springfield, OR1,5454.450%
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL5951.828%
Greeley, CO2,99311.929%
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO2,4366.842%
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC3,1366.920%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Hickory beside Fort Collins

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: North Carolina. Counting rules.