City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Hickory, NC (88.5) and Tuscaloosa, AL (87.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Hickory, NC goes as far as $99,100 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL ($108,810 → $107,510), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,137 in Tuscaloosa | $100,871 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Tuscaloosa, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
71 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Hickory, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Hickory → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,344 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $75,431 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $90,410 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $107,510 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $127,044 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $60,220 | $60,744 (+22.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $104,870 | $105,783 (−13.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $71,690 | $72,314 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $75,250 | $75,905 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.