City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 14.0% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $114,000 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City, UT ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +14.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.2% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,993 in Salt Lake City | $87,725 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,456/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$53/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; 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; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Hickory → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −14.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −14.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −14.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −14.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −14.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $77,920 | $68,355 (+38.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $129,600 | $113,691 (−7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $82,100 | $72,022 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $85,890 | $75,347 (−5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.