City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 12.8% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $112,800 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Visalia, CA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Visalia, CA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.7% moving from Hickory, NC to Visalia, CA ($108,810 → $106,973), while prices change by +12.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.9% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,814 in Visalia | $88,641 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
38 Weak offer
Visalia, CA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.8%; 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; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Visalia, CA | Real change, Hickory → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,033 | −12.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $75,055 | −12.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,959 | −12.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,973 | −12.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $126,410 | −12.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $98,430 | $87,249 (+76.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $126,170 | $111,839 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $79,400 | $70,381 (−9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $125,180 | $110,961 (+38.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.