City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 18.1% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $118,100 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $905 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.7% moving from Baltimore, MD to Hickory, NC ($121,785 → $108,810), while prices change by −15.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,686 in Hickory | $118,083 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$905/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$905/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Hickory, NC | Real change, Baltimore → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $63,098 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $76,343 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $91,503 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $108,810 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $128,581 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $49,540 | $58,498 (−23.4%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $122,540 | $144,699 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $77,490 | $91,503 (+7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $80,060 | $94,537 (−5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.