$100k salary, packing up from Orlando

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Hickory, NC cityscape

if you left orlando

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

$128

below Orlando's monthly cost

Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Hickory is everything that isn't rent.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

26% cheaper than Orlando(vs $1,937/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$375/mo more in state tax than Orlando

vs 0% in Orlando

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$128 more than Orlando

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

04a house here

$268k

33% cheaper than Orlando

vs $402k in Orlando

05metro size

370k

vs 2.8M in Orlando

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Orlando edges ahead with 216 pleasant days.

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

64/100

3% higher than Orlando

vs 62/100 in Orlando

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

·walk score®

70/100

28% lower than Orlando

vs 97/100 in Orlando

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Orlando

vs 146 nonstops in Orlando

04 · see also

same energy as hickory, different zip code:

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