City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Lubbock, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lubbock, TX are 3.2% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $103,200 in Lubbock, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $990 a month in Lubbock, TX versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Lubbock, 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 Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Lubbock, TX ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Lubbock, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 91.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,199 in Lubbock | $96,900 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $990/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $42,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Lubbock, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Lubbock |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 76.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 82.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 91.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Lubbock, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
59 Fair offer
Lubbock, TX → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Lubbock, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Lubbock, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Lubbock, TX | Real change, Hickory → Lubbock |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Lubbock, TX | Lubbock pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $59,220 | $57,384 (+15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $115,190 | $111,619 (−8.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $74,390 | $72,084 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $81,480 | $78,954 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.