diff --git a/pandas/_libs/hashtable.pxd b/pandas/_libs/hashtable.pxd
index eaec9e8462450..22b923580c491 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/hashtable.pxd
+++ b/pandas/_libs/hashtable.pxd
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ cdef class Vector:
     cdef bint external_view_exists
 
 cdef class Int64Vector(Vector):
-    cdef Int64VectorData *data
+    cdef Int64VectorData data
     cdef ndarray ao
 
     cdef resize(self)
diff --git a/pandas/_libs/hashtable.pyx b/pandas/_libs/hashtable.pyx
index ccac3d0b50d45..8250d0242c31f 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/hashtable.pyx
+++ b/pandas/_libs/hashtable.pyx
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
 cimport cython
-from cpython.mem cimport (
-    PyMem_Free,
-    PyMem_Malloc,
-)
 from cpython.ref cimport (
     Py_INCREF,
     PyObject,
diff --git a/pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi.in b/pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi.in
index 26dcf0b6c4ce3..629b6b42db852 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi.in
+++ b/pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi.in
@@ -204,15 +204,11 @@ cdef class {{name}}Vector(Vector):
     # Int64Vector is the only one we need exposed for other cython files.
     {{if dtype != 'int64'}}
     cdef:
-        {{name}}VectorData *data
+        {{name}}VectorData data
         ndarray ao
     {{endif}}
 
     def __cinit__(self):
-        self.data = <{{name}}VectorData *>PyMem_Malloc(
-            sizeof({{name}}VectorData))
-        if not self.data:
-            raise MemoryError()
         self.data.n = 0
         self.data.m = _INIT_VEC_CAP
         self.ao = np.empty(self.data.m, dtype=np.{{dtype}})
@@ -223,11 +219,6 @@ cdef class {{name}}Vector(Vector):
         self.ao.resize(self.data.m, refcheck=False)
         self.data.data = <{{c_type}}*>self.ao.data
 
-    def __dealloc__(self):
-        if self.data is not NULL:
-            PyMem_Free(self.data)
-            self.data = NULL
-
     def __len__(self) -> int:
         return self.data.n
 
@@ -243,13 +234,13 @@ cdef class {{name}}Vector(Vector):
 
     cdef void append(self, {{c_type}} x) noexcept:
 
-        if needs_resize(self.data):
+        if needs_resize(&self.data):
             if self.external_view_exists:
                 raise ValueError("external reference but "
                                  "Vector.resize() needed")
             self.resize()
 
-        append_data_{{dtype}}(self.data, x)
+        append_data_{{dtype}}(&self.data, x)
 
     cdef extend(self, const {{c_type}}[:] x):
         for i in range(len(x)):
@@ -260,12 +251,9 @@ cdef class {{name}}Vector(Vector):
 cdef class StringVector(Vector):
 
     cdef:
-        StringVectorData *data
+        StringVectorData data
 
     def __cinit__(self):
-        self.data = <StringVectorData *>PyMem_Malloc(sizeof(StringVectorData))
-        if not self.data:
-            raise MemoryError()
         self.data.n = 0
         self.data.m = _INIT_VEC_CAP
         self.data.data = <char **>malloc(self.data.m * sizeof(char *))
@@ -288,11 +276,7 @@ cdef class StringVector(Vector):
             self.data.data[i] = orig_data[i]
 
     def __dealloc__(self):
-        if self.data is not NULL:
-            if self.data.data is not NULL:
-                free(self.data.data)
-            PyMem_Free(self.data)
-            self.data = NULL
+        free(self.data.data)
 
     def __len__(self) -> int:
         return self.data.n
@@ -313,10 +297,10 @@ cdef class StringVector(Vector):
 
     cdef void append(self, char *x) noexcept:
 
-        if needs_resize(self.data):
+        if needs_resize(&self.data):
             self.resize()
 
-        append_data_string(self.data, x)
+        append_data_string(&self.data, x)
 
     cdef extend(self, ndarray[object] x):
         for i in range(len(x)):
@@ -652,7 +636,7 @@ cdef class {{name}}HashTable(HashTable):
 
         if return_inverse:
             labels = np.empty(n, dtype=np.intp)
-        ud = uniques.data
+        ud = &uniques.data
         use_na_value = na_value is not None
         use_mask = mask is not None
         if not use_mask and use_result_mask:
@@ -662,7 +646,7 @@ cdef class {{name}}HashTable(HashTable):
             raise NotImplementedError  # pragma: no cover
 
         result_mask = UInt8Vector()
-        rmd = result_mask.data
+        rmd = &result_mask.data
 
         if use_mask:
             mask_values = mask.view("uint8")
@@ -846,7 +830,7 @@ cdef class {{name}}HashTable(HashTable):
             {{name}}VectorData *ud
 
         labels = np.empty(n, dtype=np.intp)
-        ud = uniques.data
+        ud = &uniques.data
 
         with nogil:
             for i in range(n):
diff --git a/pandas/_libs/hashtable_func_helper.pxi.in b/pandas/_libs/hashtable_func_helper.pxi.in
index 336af306d410f..ca1b28b9442ca 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/hashtable_func_helper.pxi.in
+++ b/pandas/_libs/hashtable_func_helper.pxi.in
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ def _unique_label_indices_{{dtype}}(const {{c_type}}[:] labels) -> ndarray:
         kh_{{ttype}}_t *table = kh_init_{{ttype}}()
         {{name}}Vector idx = {{name}}Vector()
         ndarray[{{c_type}}, ndim=1] arr
-        {{name}}VectorData *ud = idx.data
+        {{name}}VectorData *ud = &idx.data
 
     kh_resize_{{ttype}}(table, min(kh_needed_n_buckets(n), SIZE_HINT_LIMIT))