City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 8.9% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $108,900 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, 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 Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Nashville, TN ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,874 in Nashville | $91,850 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,578/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% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
43 Weak offer
Nashville, TN → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Nashville, TN | Real change, Hickory → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $61,460 | $56,451 (+13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $126,610 | $116,291 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $78,080 | $71,716 (−7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $84,040 | $77,190 (−3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.