Cost of Living: Hickory, NC vs Philadelphia, PA

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 $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 14.21% of gross in Hickory, NC versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Hickory, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Hickory, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Hickory, NC
14.21%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Philadelphia, PA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Hickory, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

Philadelphia, PA 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) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Philadelphia, PA is $330/mo higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Home Price

Hickory, NC: $248,300 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Hickory, NC is $15,900 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Hickory, NC: $63,361 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Hickory, NC has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $2,663.

Hickory, NC overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons