City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 11.5% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $111,500 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Hickory, NC to Houston, TX ($108,810 → $122,749), while prices change by +11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,463 in Houston | $89,716 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
38 Weak offer
Houston, TX → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Houston, TX | Real change, Hickory → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $71,181 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $86,123 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $103,225 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $122,749 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $145,052 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $64,500 | $57,867 (+16.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $129,440 | $116,128 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $85,090 | $76,339 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $99,830 | $89,563 (+11.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.