same $100k income, fresh start from Santa Maria

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Hickory, NC cityscape

next stop after santa maria

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

$2,318

cheaper each month than Santa Maria

In Hickory, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

57% cheaper than Santa Maria(vs $3,352/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$400/mo less in state tax than Santa Maria

vs 9.3% in Santa Maria

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$2,318 more than Santa Maria

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

04a house here

$268k

75% cheaper than Santa Maria

vs $1059k in Santa Maria

05metro size

370k

vs 441k in Santa Maria

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Santa Maria has the edge here, logging 337 pleasant days a year.

·outdoorscore

64/100

8% higher than Santa Maria

vs 59/100 in Santa Maria

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

·walk score®

70/100

20% lower than Santa Maria

vs 87/100 in Santa Maria

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Santa Maria

vs 2 nonstops in Santa Maria

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