$100k salary, packing up from Portland

change
Hickory, NC cityscape

if you left portland

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

$1,101

below Portland's monthly cost

Move to Hickory and the monthly math gets easier. Portland's rent is the headline; Hickory's is a footnote.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

37% cheaper than Portland(vs $2,285/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$250/mo less in state tax than Portland

vs 7.5% in Portland

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$1,101 more than Portland

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

04a house here

$268k

51% cheaper than Portland

vs $543k in Portland

05metro size

370k

vs 566k in Portland

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Portland only manages 145 of those.

Noticeably quieter than Portland. About 39% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

10% lower than Portland

vs 71/100 in Portland

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

·walk score®

70/100

29% lower than Portland

vs 98/100 in Portland

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Portland

vs 2 nonstops in Portland

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