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→Spartanburg
Spartanburg is the Upstate of South Carolina, with rolling foothills, peach orchards (yes, South Carolina actually grows more peaches than Georgia in some years), and the largest BMW manufacturing plant in the world just outside town. The downtown's been revitalizing with breweries and restaurants. Wofford and Converse keep college energy in town. The Blue Ridge is right there.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,434/mo
$1,434/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$268k
$277k
$9k more than Hickory
State income tax
State income tax
4.5%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,524/mo
$6,358/mo
Hickory has $166/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
191 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
11 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
4 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Spartanburg has 5 more days above 95°F each year than Hickory.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
68 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of Hickory
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
20 routes
20 more direct routes than Hickory
Metro size
Metro size
370k metro
383k metro
Hickory has 1.3x more events per month than Spartanburg.
the verdict
4
Hickory
categories won
2
Spartanburg
categories won
Hickory wins on money and weather. Spartanburg has the edge on lifestyle.
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