same $100k income, fresh start from Lincoln

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Hickory, NC cityscape

swapping out of lincoln

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

$12

pricier each month than Lincoln

A small premium for Hickory. Worth it only if the rest of the city earns it back.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

9% more expensive than Lincoln(vs $1,311/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$112/mo less in state tax than Lincoln

vs 5.84% in Lincoln

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$12 less than Lincoln

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

04a house here

$268k

11% cheaper than Lincoln

vs $302k in Lincoln

05metro size

370k

vs 344k in Lincoln

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Lincoln only manages 152 of those.

About as much going on as in Lincoln.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

21% higher than Lincoln

vs 53/100 in Lincoln

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

·walk score®

70/100

7% lower than Lincoln

vs 75/100 in Lincoln

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Lincoln

vs 3 nonstops in Lincoln

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