City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Scranton, PA are 5.7% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $105,700 in Scranton, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,028 a month in Scranton, PA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Scranton, PA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Scranton, PA ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,730 in Scranton | $94,581 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Scranton, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
52 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Scranton, PA | Real change, Hickory → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $76,590 | $72,439 (+46.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $119,960 | $113,459 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $70,480 | $66,661 (−14.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $82,650 | $78,171 (−2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.