City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 9.7% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $109,700 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.8% moving from Hickory, NC to Reading, PA ($108,810 → $117,284), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,690 in Reading | $91,166 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
41 Weak offer
Reading, PA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Reading, PA | Real change, Hickory → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $68,013 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $82,289 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $98,630 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $117,284 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $138,595 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $79,860 | $72,805 (+47.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $120,920 | $110,238 (−10.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $75,550 | $68,876 (−11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $98,470 | $89,771 (+12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.