same $100k income, fresh start from Minneapolis

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Hickory, NC cityscape

if you left minneapolis

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

$524

cheaper each month than Minneapolis

Not a fortune, but real money. Hickory runs cheaper than Minneapolis month over month.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

15% cheaper than Minneapolis(vs $1,679/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$279/mo less in state tax than Minneapolis

vs 7.85% in Minneapolis

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$524 more than Minneapolis

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

04a house here

$268k

33% cheaper than Minneapolis

vs $398k in Minneapolis

05metro size

370k

vs 3.7M in Minneapolis

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Minneapolis keeps to 147 pleasant days a year.

Noticeably quieter than Minneapolis. About 88% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

16% lower than Minneapolis

vs 76/100 in Minneapolis

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

·walk score®

70/100

25% lower than Minneapolis

vs 93/100 in Minneapolis

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Minneapolis

vs 130 nonstops in Minneapolis

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