same $100k income, fresh start from Sarasota

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Hickory, NC cityscape

next stop after sarasota

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

$312

cheaper each month than Sarasota

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

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

32% cheaper than Sarasota(vs $2,121/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$375/mo more in state tax than Sarasota

vs 0% in Sarasota

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$312 more than Sarasota

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

04a house here

$268k

37% cheaper than Sarasota

vs $423k in Sarasota

05metro size

370k

vs 262k in Sarasota

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Sarasota has the edge here, logging 249 pleasant days a year.

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

64/100

8% higher than Sarasota

vs 59/100 in Sarasota

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

·walk score®

70/100

27% lower than Sarasota

vs 96/100 in Sarasota

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Sarasota

vs 6 nonstops in Sarasota

04 · see also

neighbors of hickory on the map of tradeoffs:

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