$100k salary, packing up from Albuquerque

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Hickory, NC cityscape

next stop after albuquerque

Hickory

nc · metro 370k

photo: Mark Stebnicki / pexels

a dispatch from

hickory

NC

35.73°N

81.34°W

Hickory is North Carolina's furniture capital, with the Hickory Furniture Mart and the surrounding factories shaping the local economy. The downtown has come back nicely with breweries and a walkable feel. The Blue Ridge foothills start just outside town. Lake Hickory is right there for boating. Cheaper than the bigger NC cities, with mountain access an hour away.

metro370k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$171

less monthly outlay than Albuquerque

Hickory and Albuquerque land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

4% cheaper than Albuquerque(vs $1,489/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$117/mo less in state tax than Albuquerque

vs 5.9% in Albuquerque

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$171 more than Albuquerque

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$268k

24% cheaper than Albuquerque

vs $351k in Albuquerque

05metro size

370k

vs 924k in Albuquerque

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Albuquerque edges ahead with 205 pleasant days.

55% fewer events than Albuquerque. The pace eases up.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

21% lower than Albuquerque

vs 81/100 in Albuquerque

Closest outdoor draw: South Mountains State Park, 21.5 mi.

·walk score®

70/100

26% lower than Albuquerque

vs 94/100 in Albuquerque

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Albuquerque

vs 23 nonstops in Albuquerque

04 · see also

if hickory appeals, also worth a look:

see also

spartanburg

more flight options

turn the page

see also

roanoke

better park access

turn the page

see also

lancaster

$37/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare hickory with:

SpartanburgRoanokeLancaster