City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 20.3% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $120,300 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Riverside, 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 Riverside, CA ($108,810 → $124,085), while prices change by +20.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,292 in Riverside | $83,131 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,777/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% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.3%; 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; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Riverside, CA | Real change, Hickory → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $71,957 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $87,061 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $104,349 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $124,085 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $146,632 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $98,520 | $81,900 (+65.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $133,270 | $110,788 (−9.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $83,920 | $69,763 (−10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $133,940 | $111,345 (+39.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.