$100k salary, packing up from St. Louis

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Hickory, NC cityscape

swapping out of st. louis

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.

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$7

more each month than St. Louis ran you

Hickory edges out a little pricier. Close enough that the decision rides on the days, not the dollars.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

2% more expensive than St. Louis(vs $1,411/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$17/mo less in state tax than St. Louis

vs 4.7% in St. Louis

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$7 less than St. Louis

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

04a house here

$268k

3% cheaper than St. Louis

vs $277k in St. Louis

05metro size

370k

vs 2.8M in St. Louis

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

St. Louis keeps to 174 pleasant days a year.

Lighter on events: St. Louis packs 4.2× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

6% lower than St. Louis

vs 68/100 in St. Louis

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

·walk score®

70/100

20% lower than St. Louis

vs 87/100 in St. Louis

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than St. Louis

vs 60 nonstops in St. Louis

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