on $100k a year, leaving Detroit

change
Hickory, NC cityscape

instead of detroit

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

$17

under Detroit, every month

Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Hickory is everything that isn't rent.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

3% cheaper than Detroit(vs $1,472/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$21/mo more in state tax than Detroit

vs 4.25% in Detroit

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$17 more than Detroit

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

04a house here

$268k

2% more expensive than Detroit

vs $262k in Detroit

05metro size

370k

vs 4.3M in Detroit

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Detroit barely cracks 160 pleasant ones.

Noticeably quieter than Detroit. About 79% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

36% higher than Detroit

vs 47/100 in Detroit

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

·walk score®

70/100

29% lower than Detroit

vs 99/100 in Detroit

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Detroit

vs 135 nonstops in Detroit

04 · see also

cities that play in hickory's register:

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