City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 17.1% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $117,100 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,324 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Chicago, IL to Hickory, NC ($118,984 → $108,810), while prices change by −14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.1% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,415 in Hickory | $117,075 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,324/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,324/yr.
37 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Hickory, NC | Real change, Chicago → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $63,098 | +7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $76,343 | +7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $91,503 | +7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $108,810 | +7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $128,581 | +7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $125,310 | $115,250 | $134,929 (+7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $122,540 | $143,464 (+6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $77,490 | $90,721 (+10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $80,060 | $93,730 (−6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.