City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 28.3% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $128,300 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.0% moving from Hickory, NC to Los Angeles, CA ($108,810 → $124,085), while prices change by +28.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.1% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $128,343 in Los Angeles | $77,916 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.1%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +28.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Hickory → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $71,957 | −11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $87,061 | −11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $104,349 | −11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $124,085 | −11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $146,632 | −11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $101,860 | $79,365 (+60.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $160,920 | $125,382 (+2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $94,360 | $73,521 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $135,560 | $105,623 (+31.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.