City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in El Paso, TX are 1.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $101,600 in El Paso, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,013 a month in El Paso, TX versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from El Paso, TX to Hickory, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (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
| El Paso, TX | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,414 in Hickory | $101,612 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/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 | 15% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Hickory, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
74 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → El Paso, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Hickory, NC | Real change, El Paso → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $49,540 | $50,338 (−21.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $122,540 | $124,515 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $77,490 | $78,739 (+19.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $80,060 | $81,350 (−5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.