City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 9.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $109,600 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,119 a month in Milwaukee, WI versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Milwaukee, WI and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $438 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.3% moving from Hickory, NC to Milwaukee, WI ($108,810 → $111,310), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,551 in Milwaukee | $91,282 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$438/yr.
42 Weak offer
Milwaukee, WI → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$438/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Hickory → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $64,548 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $78,098 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $93,606 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $111,310 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $131,535 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $61,480 | $56,120 (+13.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $123,730 | $112,943 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $80,290 | $73,290 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $97,360 | $88,872 (+11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.