Personal loans in Hickory, NC
The Census estimates 44,415 residents in Hickory, which ranks it 25th of 549 places in North Carolina. From the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate, the population rose by about 2.0%. A personal loan in Hickory is priced from your credit file and income, not from the fact that the city holds 44,415 people. State law, rather than federal rules alone, supplies the rate caps and licensing rules that reach Hickory's 44,415 residents. Verify the lender's North Carolina licence against the regulator named below before borrowing in Hickory. The closest larger place is Mooresville, NC about 30 miles away.
Borrowing in Hickory: the local picture
Set out below is Hickory's local context next to the state-level rules that reach every lender here.
- Population: 44,415 — Hickory ranks 25th of 549 communities in North Carolina (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: Roughly 2.0% more residents than the 2020 Census counted.
- People gained or lost: about 857 more since the 2020 base.
- Size percentile: with 44,415 residents, Hickory is larger than about 95% of North Carolina's Census places.
- Population density: 1,375 people per square mile on 32.3 square miles of land.
- Land area rank: Hickory's 32.3 square miles rank 19th of 549 places in North Carolina.
- Water area: Hickory has 0.10 square miles of water, ranking 107th of 549 places in North Carolina.
- Share of state population: Hickory's 44,415 residents are about 0.7% of North Carolina.
- Nationally: Hickory is the 900th-largest of 19,457 Census places in the dataset.
- Growth rank: Hickory's 2020-to-2023 change ranks 253rd of 549 places in North Carolina.
- Versus North Carolina: the state average change is +2.9%, while Hickory moved 2.0%.
- Density in North Carolina: Hickory ranks 90th by people per square mile.
- Density vs North Carolina: Hickory's 1,375 people per square mile compare with a state median of 758.
- Location: the Census Gazetteer records it at 35.7397, -81.3202.
- Nearest larger cities: Mooresville (30 mi); Huntersville (34 mi); Gastonia (35 mi); Kannapolis (42 mi); Concord (45 mi). Any of them may have more branches, but statewide rules and your credit still set the price.
- Nearest smaller places: Brookford (3 mi); Long View (4 mi); Hildebran (6 mi).
- Smaller places within 50 miles: 97 of them.
- At 100 miles: 14 larger Census places fall inside that radius.
What a Hickory borrower is actually offered
With roughly 44,415 residents, Hickory is a smaller city; its personal loans are typically unsecured, priced from your credit rather than the city's size. Two numbers drive a Hickory loan: the APR, which includes fees, and the term, which decides how long you keep paying. Because the payment is fixed, the total cost of a Hickory loan is knowable in advance — unlike a revolving card balance.
Hickory in state context
Set beside North Carolina's 549 places, Hickory ranks 25th by population and holds about 0.7% of the state total. On the 2020-to-2023 trend, Hickory stands 253rd among North Carolina's 549 places — roughly the 54th percentile. By density, at about 1,375 people per square mile, it ranks 90th in North Carolina. By land area, its 32.3 square miles rank 19th of 549 places in North Carolina.
Hickory: area, density and distance
Inside Hickory's boundaries lie roughly 32.3 square miles of land and 0.10 square miles of water. That land carries about 1,375 people per square mile. The largest place in North Carolina, Charlotte, lies about 46 miles away. Hickory has 6 larger places within a 50-mile radius. By land area it ranks 19th of 549 North Carolina places.
North Carolina rules behind a Hickory personal loan
The rows below set out what a licensed lender must follow in North Carolina, and so for Hickory's roughly 44,415 residents.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks (NCCOB) Source says: "Lenders operating under the CFA must be licensed by and are subject to regulation by the NCCOB." | North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Payday lenders shut down in North Carolina; online payday lending remains an enforcement target Source says: "Payday Lenders: Shut Down In NC, But Still Victimizing Borrowers Online" | North Carolina Department of Justice (Office of the Attorney General) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer Finance Act license from the Commissioner of Banks required for loans of $25,000 or less charging more than Chapter 24 rates Source says: "Direct lenders seeking to charge rates higher than allowed under Chapter 24 on consumer term loans of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or less" | North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks as of 2026-09-16 |
Lender access in Hickory
Hickory is a moderately settled community of about 44,415 people, with 6 larger places inside a 50-mile radius. A North Carolina licence lets a lender serve Hickory without a local office, so branch density does not change what its 44,415 residents are offered. The nearest bigger place is Mooresville, NC about 30 miles away.
Common questions
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Nearby places
- Brookford, NC — population 431
- Long View, NC — population 5,207
- Hildebran, NC — population 1,678
- Conover, NC — population 8,635
- Rhodhiss, NC — population 985
- Newton, NC — population 13,399
- Granite Falls, NC — population 4,914
- Claremont, NC — population 1,729