City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 12.8% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $112,800 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $444 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Hickory, NC to Waterbury, CT ($108,810 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: 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 | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,761 in Waterbury | $88,683 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$444/yr.
38 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$444/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Hickory → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $72,737 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $88,005 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $105,481 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $125,431 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $148,222 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $79,640 | $70,627 (+42.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $131,290 | $116,432 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $93,010 | $82,484 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $101,690 | $90,182 (+12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.