Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hickman’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and safety and an A for history; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Hickman, against 16% in Kentucky’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 7 of Kentucky’s 236 towns score lower on incomes. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Its National Register listings include Thomas Chapel C.M.E. Church and Old Hickman Historic District. Hickman has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Hickman beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Fulton County Courthouse
Census counts: 401 in 1850, 2,365 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 4 maps from 1939 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Hickman is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hickman, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Hickman.
At $417 a month, Hickman’s median rent is where Kentucky’s towns sit at $934 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. Typical home values fell 8.5% in the year to September 2026. 51% of households own their home in Hickman.
| Hickman | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $417 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 51% | 59% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Fulton County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 314 | B |
| Fulton County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 174 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
44% of Hickman adults have obesity. Hickman beats the Kentucky average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 26% of Hickman adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Hickman | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 40% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | Hickman | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.3% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 9.5% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Only 6 of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Hickman. Since 2018, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hickman.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
About one in 5 of Hickman’s working residents works in town. Hickman’s average trip to work is 17 minutes. Jobs based in Hickman fell to 485 in 2023, 237 fewer than in 2013.
| Hickman | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $35,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Hickman has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Hickman is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Hickman | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hickman. Close and well known come first.
18 mi LakeReelfoot Lake11 mi MuseumDiscovery Park of America29 mi Ancient siteFort Defiance
31 mi MuseumMagnolia Manor
14 mi MuseumColumbus-Belmont State ParkReelfoot Lake: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Magnolia Manor: MuZemike, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Columbus-Belmont State Park: Knowledgeum at en.wikipedia, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Hickman; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Hickman residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
6 places in Hickman on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Hickman.
City in Kentucky, United States
Hickman is a city and the county seat of Fulton County, Kentucky, United States. Located on the Mississippi River, the city had a population of 2,365 at the 2020 U.S. census and is classified as a home rule-class city. Hickman is part of the Union City micropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
4 notable people were born here, including Elvis Jacob Stahr, Jr. and Frederick D. Gardner.
