City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kansas City, MO are 4.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $104,600 in Kansas City, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $281 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Hickory, NC to Kansas City, MO ($108,810 → $108,173), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,585 in Kansas City | $95,616 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Kansas City, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$281/yr.
55 Fair offer
Kansas City, MO → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$281/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Hickory → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,729 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $75,897 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $90,968 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $108,173 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $127,829 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $61,060 | $58,383 (+17.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $124,990 | $119,511 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $80,040 | $76,531 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $83,040 | $79,400 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.