City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 13.3% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,300 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, 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 Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Port St. Lucie, FL ($108,810 → $113,356), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.0% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,270 in Port St. Lucie | $88,285 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,467/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% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
38 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; 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; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Hickory → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $65,735 | −8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $79,533 | −8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $95,326 | −8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $113,356 | −8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $133,953 | −8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $53,610 | $47,329 (−4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $128,510 | $113,455 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $79,430 | $70,125 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $82,090 | $72,473 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.