01 · the cities
Miami
Miami is Spanish before it's English, salsa before it's small talk, and a cortadito before it's a coffee. South Beach Art Deco glows pink at night, Wynwood is a city-sized mural, and the Cuban sandwiches in Little Havana could end fights. Summer is bath-warm ocean and ceiling fans turned up high, and October feels like everywhere else's perfect August. Bring linen.
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
$2,665/mo
$1,434/mo
$1,231/mo less than Miami (86%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$268k
$296k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,524/mo
Hickory has $856/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
272 days
189 days
83 fewer than Miami
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 Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
64 / 100
13.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
0 routes
167 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
370k metro
Miami has 51.9x more events per month than Hickory.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
Hickory
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Hickory has the edge on money.
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