with $100k coming in, swapping out of Los Angeles

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Hickory, NC cityscape

from los angeles

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

$1,865

below Los Angeles's monthly cost

In Hickory, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

51% cheaper than Los Angeles(vs $2,899/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$400/mo less in state tax than Los Angeles

vs 9.3% in Los Angeles

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$1,865 more than Los Angeles

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

04a house here

$268k

74% cheaper than Los Angeles

vs $1029k in Los Angeles

05metro size

370k

vs 12.8M in Los Angeles

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Los Angeles has the edge here, logging 283 pleasant days a year.

Lighter on events: Los Angeles packs 18.3× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

4% lower than Los Angeles

vs 67/100 in Los Angeles

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

·walk score®

70/100

27% lower than Los Angeles

vs 96/100 in Los Angeles

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Los Angeles

vs 150 nonstops in Los Angeles

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