City comparison
Hickory, NC vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 7.5% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $107,500 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $281 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.3% moving from Hickory, NC to St. Louis, MO ($108,810 → $109,137), while prices change by +7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,461 in St. Louis | $93,057 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$281/yr.
47 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$281/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Hickory → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $63,288 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $76,573 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $91,779 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $109,137 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $128,967 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $60,650 | $56,439 (+13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $129,030 | $120,071 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $78,880 | $73,403 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $83,180 | $77,405 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.