Cost of Living: Hickory, NC vs Los Angeles, CA

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 $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 14.21% of gross in Hickory, NC versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Hickory, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Hickory, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Hickory, NC
14.21%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Hickory, NC and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Hickory, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Hickory, NC: $927/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $768/mo higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Home Price

Hickory, NC: $248,300 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $409,400 higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Household Income

Hickory, NC: $63,361 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Los Angeles, CA has a higher median household income than Hickory, NC by $11,424.

Hickory, NC overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons