01 · the cities
Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
full dispatch→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
$2,843/mo
$1,434/mo
$1,409/mo less than Honolulu (98%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$268k
$793k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,524/mo
Hickory has $1,950/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
316 days
189 days
127 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Hickory has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
64 / 100
9.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
0 routes
51 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
370k metro
Honolulu has 5.0x more events per month than Hickory.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
5
Hickory
categories won
Hickory wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
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