City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 13.4% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,400 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, 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 Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.7% moving from Hickory, NC to Spokane, WA ($108,810 → $106,991), while prices change by +13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.3% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,403 in Spokane | $88,181 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,193/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; 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; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Spokane, WA | Real change, Hickory → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,044 | −13.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $75,068 | −13.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,974 | −13.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,991 | −13.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $126,432 | −13.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $98,800 | $87,123 (+75.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $130,690 | $115,244 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $86,350 | $76,144 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $111,750 | $98,542 (+23.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.