Cost of Living: Hickory, NC vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Hickory, NC versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 14.21% of gross in Hickory, NC versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Hickory, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Hickory, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Hickory, NC
14.21%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Hickory, NC and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Hickory, NC
  • Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
  • Higher median household income: Hickory, NC

Cost of Living Index

Hickory, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Hickory, NC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Hickory, NC: $927/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $396/mo higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Home Price

Hickory, NC: $248,300 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Hickory, NC is $100,500 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Hickory, NC: $63,361 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Hickory, NC has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $6,546.

Hickory, NC overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons