City comparison
Hickory, NC vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 7.0% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $107,000 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.7% moving from Hickory, NC to San Antonio, TX ($108,810 → $108,001), while prices change by +7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,041 in San Antonio | $93,422 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
48 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Hickory → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,629 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $75,776 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $90,823 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $108,001 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $127,624 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $61,720 | $57,660 (+16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $128,430 | $119,982 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $78,650 | $73,477 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $94,370 | $88,163 (+10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.