City comparison
Hickory, NC vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 30.7% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $130,700 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +22.3% moving from Hickory, NC to San Francisco, CA ($108,810 → $133,060), while prices change by +30.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $130,657 in San Francisco | $76,536 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −23.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +30.7%; 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; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Hickory → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $77,161 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $93,358 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $111,896 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $133,060 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $157,236 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $101,860 | $77,960 (+57.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $186,640 | $142,847 (+16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $110,730 | $84,749 (+9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $186,610 | $142,825 (+78.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.