$100k a year, no longer in Las Vegas

change
Hickory, NC cityscape

if you left las vegas

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

in our guides

#9

of 10

Best cities to leave San Francisco for

read the guide
#10

of 10

Best cities to leave Los Angeles for

read the guide
#4

of 10

Affordable alternatives to Austin

read the guide
#9

of 10

Affordable alternatives to Denver

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best small cities to live in

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best cities to leave Phoenix for

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to leave Denver for

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities to leave Austin for

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best cities to live in the Southeast

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities in the Carolinas

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities to leave Minneapolis for

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities for a $60k salary

read the guide
#4

of 10

Affordable alternatives to Boise

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$78

the monthly cost of moving past Las Vegas

Barely costlier than Las Vegas. If Hickory pulls you in, it's the life it offers, not the price tag.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

17% cheaper than Las Vegas(vs $1,731/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$375/mo more in state tax than Las Vegas

vs 0% in Las Vegas

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$78 less than Las Vegas

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

04a house here

$268k

40% cheaper than Las Vegas

vs $451k in Las Vegas

05metro size

370k

vs 2.3M in Las Vegas

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Las Vegas gets 210 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.

Lighter on events: Las Vegas packs 184.6× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

20% lower than Las Vegas

vs 80/100 in Las Vegas

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

·walk score®

70/100

15% lower than Las Vegas

vs 82/100 in Las Vegas

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Las Vegas

vs 133 nonstops in Las Vegas

04 · see also

neighbors of hickory on the map of tradeoffs:

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