01 · the cities
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→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
$1,434/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$277k
$268k
$9k less than Spartanburg
State income tax
State income tax
6.5%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,358/mo
$6,524/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
191 days
189 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
16 days
11 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
68 / 100
64 / 100
4.0 pts behind Spartanburg
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
20 routes
0 routes
20 fewer direct routes than Spartanburg
Metro size
Metro size
383k metro
370k metro
Spartanburg has 1.3x fewer events per month than Hickory.
the verdict
2
Spartanburg
categories won
4
Hickory
categories won
Hickory wins on money and weather. Spartanburg has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Spartanburg salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works