Department of Numbers

Hickory, North Carolina Home Affordability

The data below measures home affordability for the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, North Carolina metropolitan area using price-to-income and price-to-rent metrics.1 The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated. You can also compare Hickory home affordability to other cities.

Hickory, North Carolina Home Price-to-Income Ratios

The second chart shows a history of the ratio as an index calculated from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Hickory HPI series. Median household income data for Hickory is from the Census American Community Survey.

Price-to-Income Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Hickory, North Carolina Home Price-to-Income Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
September 2011 120.9
June 2011 119.0
March 2011 120.7
December 2010 125.6
September 2010 125.0
June 2010 124.0
March 2010 126.2
December 2009 133.6
September 2009 134.5

Hickory, North Carolina Home Price-to-Rent Ratios

The chart below shows an index of the rent ratio calculated from the metro FHFA HPI series and the Hickory median contract rent data from the Census ACS.

Price-to-Rent Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Hickory, North Carolina Home Price-to-Rent Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
September 2011 100.2
June 2011 98.6
March 2011 100.0
December 2010 104.1
September 2010 103.6
June 2010 102.8
March 2010 104.6
December 2009 111.1
September 2009 111.9

Hickory, North Carolina Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage value is determined by taking the median household income for Hickory, North Carolina and calculating the mortgage 30% of that income could afford. Traditionally, 30% of income is the maximum amount a homeowner could use towards a home loan. Inferred affordable loan values are calculated from ACS median household income and average monthly mortgage rates.

Inferred Affordable Mortgage

Hickory, North Carolina Inferred Affordable Mortgage History

Date Inferred Mortgage
November 2011 $206,469
October 2011 $204,487
September 2011 $203,507
August 2011 $199,655
July 2011 $193,172
June 2011 $194,079
May 2011 $191,155
April 2011 $186,786
March 2011 $186,786
February 2011 $184,447
January 2011 $188,515
December 2010 $189,609
November 2010 $198,945

1. Specifically, home prices are from the non seasonally adjusted FHFA all-transactions quarterly series. Dollar ratios are calculated using NAR metro prices when available. Rent and income data are from the Census ACS and are carried forward into the following year prior to release of the new data.