$100k salary, packing up from Springfield

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Hickory, NC cityscape

next stop after springfield

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

$169

the monthly premium over Springfield

Almost a wash on cost. The case for Hickory is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

15% more expensive than Springfield(vs $1,249/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$17/mo less in state tax than Springfield

vs 4.7% in Springfield

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$169 less than Springfield

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

04a house here

$268k

0% more expensive than Springfield

vs $268k in Springfield

05metro size

370k

vs 491k in Springfield

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Springfield barely cracks 170 pleasant ones.

A similar weekend lineup to Springfield.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

28% higher than Springfield

vs 50/100 in Springfield

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

·walk score®

70/100

21% lower than Springfield

vs 89/100 in Springfield

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Springfield

vs 9 nonstops in Springfield

04 · see also

if hickory appeals, also worth a look:

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