same $100k income, fresh start from Pensacola

change
Hickory, NC cityscape

swapping out of pensacola

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

$57

more expensive each month than Pensacola

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

18% cheaper than Pensacola(vs $1,752/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$375/mo more in state tax than Pensacola

vs 0% in Pensacola

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$57 less than Pensacola

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

04a house here

$268k

11% cheaper than Pensacola

vs $303k in Pensacola

05metro size

370k

vs 530k in Pensacola

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Pensacola has the edge here, logging 226 pleasant days a year.

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

64/100

7% lower than Pensacola

vs 69/100 in Pensacola

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

·walk score®

70/100

9% higher than Pensacola

vs 64/100 in Pensacola

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Pensacola

vs 11 nonstops in Pensacola

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