City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hickory, NC are 2.9% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $102,900 in Hickory, NC to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $866 a month in Brownsville, TX and $908 in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Brownsville, TX to Hickory, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,921 in Hickory | $97,162 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Hickory, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
60 Fair offer
Hickory, NC → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Hickory, NC | Real change, Brownsville → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $49,540 | $48,134 (−24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $122,540 | $119,063 (+11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $77,490 | $75,291 (+13.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $80,060 | $77,788 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.