City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 20.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $120,600 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Hickory, NC to Sacramento, CA ($108,810 → $117,984), while prices change by +20.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,550 in Sacramento | $82,953 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.6%; 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; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Hickory → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $68,419 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $82,780 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $99,218 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $117,984 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $139,422 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $103,390 | $85,765 (+73.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $139,640 | $115,836 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $92,110 | $76,408 (−1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $171,460 | $142,231 (+77.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.