City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 13.3% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,300 in Las Vegas, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Hickory, NC to Las Vegas, NV ($108,810 → $108,719), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,255 in Las Vegas | $88,296 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
38 Weak offer
Las Vegas, NV → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; 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; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Hickory → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $63,046 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $76,280 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $91,427 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $108,719 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $128,473 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $65,040 | $57,428 (+15.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $129,940 | $114,732 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $80,530 | $71,105 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $103,940 | $91,775 (+14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.