City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 5.2% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $105,200 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Hickory, NC to Huntsville, AL ($108,810 → $110,847), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,183 in Huntsville | $95,073 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
53 Fair offer
Huntsville, AL → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Hickory → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $64,279 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $77,772 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $93,216 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $110,847 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $130,987 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $62,250 | $59,183 (+19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $128,080 | $121,769 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $79,220 | $75,317 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $77,090 | $73,291 (−8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.