City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 13.1% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,100 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,086 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Atlanta, GA to Hickory, NC ($112,556 → $108,810), while prices change by −11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,435 in Hickory | $113,078 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,086/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,086/yr.
35 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Hickory, NC | Real change, Atlanta → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $63,098 | +9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $76,343 | +9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $91,503 | +9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,810 | +9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $128,581 | +9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $49,540 | $56,019 (−26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $122,540 | $138,566 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $77,490 | $87,624 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $80,060 | $90,530 (−9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.