Cost of Living: Hickory, NC vs Houston, TX

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 $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 14.21% of gross in Hickory, NC versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Hickory, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Hickory, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Hickory, NC
14.21%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Hickory, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

Houston, TX 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) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $321/mo higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Home Price

Hickory, NC: $248,300 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Houston, TX is $5,100 higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Household Income

Hickory, NC: $63,361 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Hickory, NC has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $467.

Hickory, NC overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons