on $100k a year, leaving Fresno

change
Hickory, NC cityscape

instead of fresno

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

$965

lighter monthly cost than Fresno

Move to Hickory and the monthly math gets easier. Fresno's rent is the headline; Hickory's is a footnote.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

28% cheaper than Fresno(vs $1,999/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$400/mo less in state tax than Fresno

vs 9.3% in Fresno

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$965 more than Fresno

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

04a house here

$268k

36% cheaper than Fresno

vs $418k in Fresno

05metro size

370k

vs 1.2M in Fresno

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Fresno edges ahead with 206 pleasant days.

Lighter on events: Fresno packs 2.0× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

3% lower than Fresno

vs 66/100 in Fresno

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

·walk score®

70/100

21% lower than Fresno

vs 89/100 in Fresno

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Fresno

vs 11 nonstops in Fresno

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