01 · the cities
Hickory
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.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,434/mo
$1,321/mo
$113/mo less than Hickory (9%)
Median home price
Median home price
$268k
$139k
$129k less than Hickory
State income tax
State income tax
4.5%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,524/mo
$6,680/mo
Dayton has $156/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
189 days
171 days
18 fewer than Hickory
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
11 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
4 days
34 days
days below 20°F per year
Hickory has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Dayton. Dayton drops below 20°F on 30 more days per year than Hickory.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
62 / 100
2.0 pts behind Hickory
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
16 routes
16 more direct routes than Hickory
Metro size
Metro size
370k metro
808k metro
Hickory has 1.4x more events per month than Dayton.
the verdict
3
Hickory
categories won
6
Dayton
categories won
Dayton wins on money. Hickory has the edge on weather.
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