on $100k a year, leaving Tucson

change
Hickory, NC cityscape

swapping out of tucson

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

$157

pricier each month than Tucson

Barely costlier than Tucson. If Hickory pulls you in, it's the life it offers, not the price tag.
landable, recorded on the hickory entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

1% cheaper than Tucson(vs $1,444/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$167/mo more in state tax than Tucson

vs 2.5% in Tucson

03after rent

$6,524/mo

$157 less than Tucson

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

04a house here

$268k

24% cheaper than Tucson

vs $352k in Tucson

05metro size

370k

vs 1.1M in Tucson

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

189

pleasant days a year, in hickory.

Tucson gets 202 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.

Noticeably quieter than Tucson. About 42% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

64/100

3% lower than Tucson

vs 66/100 in Tucson

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

·walk score®

70/100

4% higher than Tucson

vs 67/100 in Tucson

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

0

100% fewer than Tucson

vs 16 nonstops in Tucson

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