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→Lancaster
Lancaster is the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country, with horse-drawn buggies on rural roads and the Central Market (the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the country, since the 1730s). The food scene is sneaky-strong, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous, and the city's downtown has come back nicely. Whoopie pies, shoofly pies, and sticky buns are mandatory.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,434/mo
$1,517/mo
$83/mo more than Hickory (5%)
Median home price
Median home price
$268k
$384k
$116k more than Hickory
State income tax
State income tax
4.5%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,524/mo
$6,561/mo
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
158 days
31 fewer than Hickory
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
11 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
4 days
25 days
days below 20°F per year
Hickory has 8 more days above 95°F each year than Lancaster. Lancaster drops below 20°F on 21 more days per year than Hickory.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
63 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
1 routes
Metro size
Metro size
370k metro
559k metro
Hickory has 1.3x more events per month than Lancaster.
the verdict
4
Hickory
categories won
3
Lancaster
categories won
Hickory leads on weather and wins overall.
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