City comparison
College Station, TX vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in College Station, TX are 2.8% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $102,800 in College Station, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from College Station, TX to Hickory, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| College Station, TX | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,290 in Hickory | $102,786 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
77 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → College Station, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from College Station, TX to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Hickory, NC | Real change, College Station → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $49,540 | $50,920 (−12.0%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $122,540 | $125,954 (+23.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $77,490 | $79,649 (+10.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $80,060 | $82,290 (−1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.