City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 16.5% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $116,500 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Hickory, NC ($115,711 → $108,810), while prices change by −14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.6% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (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
| Dallas, TX | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,834 in Hickory | $116,504 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Hickory, NC | Real change, Dallas → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $63,098 | +9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $76,343 | +9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $91,503 | +9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $108,810 | +9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $128,581 | +9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $49,540 | $57,716 (−11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $122,540 | $142,764 (+7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $77,490 | $90,279 (+9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $80,060 | $93,273 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.