City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 10.9% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $110,900 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- Both are in NC, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,481 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Hickory, NC to Raleigh, NC ($108,810 → $111,147), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,929 in Raleigh | $90,147 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Raleigh, NC → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Hickory → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $64,453 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $77,983 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $93,468 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $111,147 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $131,342 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $60,170 | $54,242 (+9.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $132,770 | $119,689 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $81,950 | $73,876 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $84,830 | $76,472 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.