$100k salary, packing up from Boulder

change
Hickory, NC cityscape

instead of boulder

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

$773

below Boulder's monthly cost

The gap is real. Hickory costs noticeably less than Boulder, every month.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

35% cheaper than Boulder(vs $2,216/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$8/mo more in state tax than Boulder

vs 4.4% in Boulder

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$773 more than Boulder

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

04a house here

$268k

66% cheaper than Boulder

vs $783k in Boulder

05metro size

370k

vs 327k in Boulder

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Boulder only logs 178 pleasant days.

3.2× the events of Boulder, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

19% lower than Boulder

vs 79/100 in Boulder

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

·walk score®

70/100

17% lower than Boulder

vs 84/100 in Boulder

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Boulder

vs 169 nonstops in Boulder

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as hickory:

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