City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 3.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $103,600 in Birmingham, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.2% moving from Birmingham, AL to Hickory, NC ($107,510 → $108,810), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (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
| Birmingham, AL | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,554 in Hickory | $103,569 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
80 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Hickory, NC | Real change, Birmingham → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $63,098 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $76,343 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $91,503 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $108,810 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $128,581 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $49,540 | $51,308 (−18.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $122,540 | $126,913 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $77,490 | $80,256 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $80,060 | $82,917 (+5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.