same $100k income, fresh start from Roanoke

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Hickory, NC cityscape

next stop after roanoke

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

$52

lighter monthly cost than Roanoke

Cost barely budges between Hickory and Roanoke. Pick this one for the texture of the days, not the math.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

4% more expensive than Roanoke(vs $1,382/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$104/mo less in state tax than Roanoke

vs 5.75% in Roanoke

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$52 more than Roanoke

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

04a house here

$268k

9% cheaper than Roanoke

vs $296k in Roanoke

05metro size

370k

vs 314k in Roanoke

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Roanoke only manages 179 of those.

1.6× the events of Roanoke, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

7% lower than Roanoke

vs 69/100 in Roanoke

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

·walk score®

70/100

26% lower than Roanoke

vs 94/100 in Roanoke

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Roanoke

vs 9 nonstops in Roanoke

04 · see also

if hickory appeals, also worth a look:

see also

spartanburg

more flight options

turn the page

see also

lancaster

$37/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

dayton

$156/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare hickory with:

SpartanburgLancasterDayton