City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 22.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $122,600 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA ($108,810 → $133,060), while prices change by +22.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,595 in Vallejo | $81,570 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.6%; 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; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Hickory → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $77,161 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $93,358 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $111,896 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $133,060 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $157,236 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $100,790 | $82,214 (+66.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $136,930 | $111,693 (−8.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $95,800 | $78,144 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $203,290 | $165,823 (+107.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.