Cost of Living: Hickory, NC vs Durham, NC

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 $4,254/mo in Durham, NC. In the model, rent is about 14.21% of gross in Hickory, NC versus 20.57% in Durham, NC, so Hickory, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Hickory, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Durham, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Hickory, NC
14.21%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Durham, NC
20.57%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Hickory, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Durham, NC: 99.2 (U.S. = 100)

Durham, NC 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) · Durham, NC: $1,342/mo

Median rent in Durham, NC is $415/mo higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Home Price

Hickory, NC: $248,300 · Durham, NC: $355,300

Median home price in Durham, NC is $107,000 higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Household Income

Hickory, NC: $63,361 · Durham, NC: $79,234

Durham, NC has a higher median household income than Hickory, NC by $15,873.

Hickory, NC overview · Durham, NC overview · Popular comparisons