City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Knoxville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Knoxville, TN are 4.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $104,600 in Knoxville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,184 a month in Knoxville, TN versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Knoxville, TN and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Knoxville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Knoxville, TN ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Knoxville, TN: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Knoxville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,614 in Knoxville | $95,589 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,184/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $47,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Knoxville, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Knoxville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 82.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 71.9 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Knoxville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
55 Fair offer
Knoxville, TN → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Knoxville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Knoxville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Knoxville, TN | Real change, Hickory → Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Knoxville, TN | Knoxville pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $61,980 | $59,246 (+19.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $121,750 | $116,380 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $75,380 | $72,055 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $77,240 | $73,833 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.