City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 13.0% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,000 in Allentown, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,341 a month in Allentown, PA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Allentown, PA to Hickory, NC ($125,431 → $108,810), while prices change by −11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,514 in Hickory | $112,976 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Hickory, NC | Real change, Allentown → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,098 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,343 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,503 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,810 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,581 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $49,540 | $55,968 (−29.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $122,540 | $138,441 (+12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $77,490 | $87,545 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $80,060 | $90,449 (−10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.