City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Hickory, NC are 1.5% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $101,500 in Hickory, NC to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $908 a month in Hickory, NC and $898 in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $868 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Lafayette, LA ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,557 in Lafayette | $101,464 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Lafayette, LA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$868/yr.
73 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Hickory, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$868/yr.
64 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Hickory → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,250 | $83,030 | $84,246 (−26.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $109,010 | $110,606 (−9.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $67,630 | $68,620 (−11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $81,960 | $83,160 (+3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.