City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Augusta, GA are 3.9% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $103,900 in Augusta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,114 a month in Augusta, GA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Augusta, GA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,086 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Augusta, GA to Hickory, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by −3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.2% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Augusta, GA | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,282 in Hickory | $103,862 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,086/yr.
81 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Augusta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,086/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Hickory, NC | Real change, Augusta → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | +6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | +6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | +6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | +6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $49,540 | $51,453 (−18.3%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $122,540 | $127,272 (+6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $77,490 | $80,482 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $80,060 | $83,152 (−5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.