$100k salary, packing up from Des Moines

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Hickory, NC cityscape

from des moines

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

$41

the monthly cost of moving past Des Moines

Hickory edges out a little pricier. Close enough that the decision rides on the days, not the dollars.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

13% more expensive than Des Moines(vs $1,268/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$125/mo less in state tax than Des Moines

vs 6% in Des Moines

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$41 less than Des Moines

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

04a house here

$268k

10% cheaper than Des Moines

vs $300k in Des Moines

05metro size

370k

vs 737k in Des Moines

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Des Moines only manages 151 of those.

But the calendar thins out: Des Moines stays 2.4× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

16% higher than Des Moines

vs 55/100 in Des Moines

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

·walk score®

70/100

10% lower than Des Moines

vs 78/100 in Des Moines

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Des Moines

vs 17 nonstops in Des Moines

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