City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ogden, UT are 13.4% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,400 in Ogden, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,481 a year in NC and $3,534 in UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Ogden, UT ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.7% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,407 in Ogden | $88,178 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Ogden, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$53/yr.
38 Weak offer
Ogden, UT → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$53/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Ogden, UT | Real change, Hickory → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −13.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −13.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −13.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −13.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −13.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $63,910 | $56,355 (+13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $109,880 | $96,890 (−20.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $82,010 | $72,315 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $81,840 | $72,165 (−9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.