City comparison
Hickory, NC vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in South Bend, IN are 4.9% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $104,900 in South Bend, IN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,105 a month in South Bend, IN versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $561 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to South Bend, IN ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,941 in South Bend | $95,292 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → South Bend, IN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$561/yr.
54 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$561/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | South Bend, IN | Real change, Hickory → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $58,180 | $55,441 (+11.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $95,500 | $91,004 (−25.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $77,940 | $74,270 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $93,540 | $89,136 (+11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.