City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Des Moines, IA are 3.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $103,600 in Des Moines, IA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.4% moving from Des Moines, IA to Hickory, NC ($107,301 → $108,810), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,494 in Hickory | $103,633 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
80 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Des Moines, IA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Hickory, NC | Real change, Des Moines → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $63,098 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $76,343 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $91,503 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $108,810 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $128,581 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $49,540 | $51,340 (−16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $122,540 | $126,992 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $77,490 | $80,305 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $80,060 | $82,969 (+5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.