City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 25.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $125,600 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.9% moving from Hickory, NC to Seattle, WA ($108,810 → $119,630), while prices change by +25.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.5% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,594 in Seattle | $79,622 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Seattle, WA | Real change, Hickory → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $69,373 | −12.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $83,935 | −12.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $100,602 | −12.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $119,630 | −12.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $141,367 | −12.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $102,920 | $81,947 (+65.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $167,280 | $133,191 (+8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $99,370 | $79,120 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $128,260 | $102,123 (+27.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.