City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 11.0% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $111,000 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Lancaster, PA ($108,810 → $108,592), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,042 in Lancaster | $90,056 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
38 Weak offer
Lancaster, PA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Hickory → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,972 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $76,190 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $91,320 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $108,592 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $128,323 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $78,360 | $70,568 (+42.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $104,740 | $94,324 (−23.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $76,110 | $68,541 (−11.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $89,620 | $80,708 (+0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.