City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Hickory, NC are 1.2% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $101,200 in Hickory, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $908 a month in Hickory, NC versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 14% of take-home pay in Hickory, NC and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Hickory, NC to Youngstown, OH ($108,810 → $111,138), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hickory, NC | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,766 in Youngstown | $101,250 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Youngstown, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
73 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Hickory, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
65 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Hickory → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $64,448 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $77,977 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $93,461 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $111,138 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $131,331 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,250 | $85,490 | $86,558 (−24.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $107,990 | $109,339 (−10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $73,080 | $73,993 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $78,680 | $79,663 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.