City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Kiryas Joel, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 23.7% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $123,700 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,549 a month in Kiryas Joel, NY versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,378 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Hickory, NC to Kiryas Joel, NY ($108,810 → $125,431), while prices change by +23.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $123,660 in Kiryas Joel | $80,867 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,378/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,378/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Hickory → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $72,737 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $88,005 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $105,481 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $125,431 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $148,222 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,250 | $106,740 | $86,317 (−25.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $145,830 | $117,928 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $88,900 | $71,891 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $102,890 | $83,204 (+3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.