Cost of Living: Hickory, NC vs Phoenix, AZ

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 $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 14.21% of gross in Hickory, NC versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Hickory, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Hickory, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Hickory, NC
14.21%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

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: Phoenix, AZ

Cost of Living Index

Hickory, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Hickory, NC: $927/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in Phoenix, AZ is $458/mo higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Home Price

Hickory, NC: $248,300 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in Phoenix, AZ is $133,600 higher than in Hickory, NC.

Median Household Income

Hickory, NC: $63,361 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Phoenix, AZ has a higher median household income than Hickory, NC by $13,680.

Hickory, NC overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons