City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 21.8% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $121,800 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +22.3% moving from Hickory, NC to Santa Rosa, CA ($108,810 → $133,060), while prices change by +21.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,809 in Santa Rosa | $82,096 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.9%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Hickory → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $77,161 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $93,358 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $111,896 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $133,060 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $157,236 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $99,060 | $81,324 (+64.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $148,630 | $122,019 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $94,690 | $77,736 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $174,550 | $143,298 (+79.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.