City comparison
Hickory, NC vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 8.5% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $108,500 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, PA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Hickory, NC to York, PA ($108,810 → $121,785), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,492 in York | $92,173 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
44 Weak offer
York, PA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | York, PA | Real change, Hickory → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $70,623 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $85,447 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $102,415 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $121,785 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $143,913 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | York, PA | York pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $79,730 | $73,489 (+48.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $114,600 | $105,630 (−13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $75,160 | $69,277 (−10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $96,210 | $88,680 (+10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.