City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 13.3% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,300 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $518 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Hickory, NC ($117,402 → $108,810), while prices change by −11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (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
| Detroit, MI | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,223 in Hickory | $113,349 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$518/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$518/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Hickory, NC | Real change, Detroit → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,098 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,343 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,503 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,810 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,581 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $49,540 | $56,153 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $122,540 | $138,898 (+6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $77,490 | $87,834 (+8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $80,060 | $90,747 (−6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.