City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 9.5% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $109,500 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,190 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Hickory, NC to Tucson, AZ ($108,810 → $108,455), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,504 in Tucson | $91,321 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,190/yr.
42 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,190/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Hickory → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,893 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $76,095 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $91,205 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $108,455 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $128,162 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $47,220 | $43,122 (−13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $123,710 | $112,973 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $76,320 | $69,696 (−10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $94,110 | $85,942 (+7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.