$100k salary, packing up from Duluth

change
Hickory, NC cityscape

swapping out of duluth

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

$404

under Duluth, every month

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

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

8% cheaper than Duluth(vs $1,559/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$279/mo less in state tax than Duluth

vs 7.85% in Duluth

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$404 more than Duluth

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

04a house here

$268k

6% more expensive than Duluth

vs $252k in Duluth

05metro size

370k

vs 282k in Duluth

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Duluth barely cracks 132 pleasant ones.

But the calendar thins out: Duluth stays 1.6× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

12% lower than Duluth

vs 73/100 in Duluth

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

·walk score®

70/100

126% higher than Duluth

vs 31/100 in Duluth

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Duluth

vs 4 nonstops in Duluth

04 · see also

same energy as hickory, different zip code:

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