same $100k income, fresh start from Salisbury

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Hickory, NC cityscape

swapping out of salisbury

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

$773

cheaper each month than Salisbury

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

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

24% cheaper than Salisbury(vs $1,899/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$308/mo less in state tax than Salisbury

vs 8.2% in Salisbury

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$773 more than Salisbury

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

04a house here

$268k

36% cheaper than Salisbury

vs $420k in Salisbury

05metro size

370k

vs 130k in Salisbury

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Salisbury barely cracks 189 pleasant ones.

A real upgrade on things to do: 1.6× Salisbury's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

21% higher than Salisbury

vs 53/100 in Salisbury

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

·walk score®

70/100

15% lower than Salisbury

vs 82/100 in Salisbury

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Salisbury

vs 2 nonstops in Salisbury

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