City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 10.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $110,600 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,455 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Richmond, VA ($108,810 → $111,183), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,592 in Richmond | $90,423 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,455/yr.
39 Weak offer
Richmond, VA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,455/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Richmond, VA | Real change, Hickory → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $64,475 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $78,009 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $93,499 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $111,183 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $131,385 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $61,290 | $55,420 (+11.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $132,120 | $119,467 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $84,220 | $76,154 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $93,580 | $84,618 (+5.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.