City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 14.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $114,600 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Orlando, FL ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.7% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,615 in Orlando | $87,249 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
36 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Orlando, FL | Real change, Hickory → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −14.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −14.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −14.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −14.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −14.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $60,190 | $52,515 (+6.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $129,620 | $113,092 (−7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $78,630 | $68,604 (−11.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $83,550 | $72,896 (−8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.