Question 1

What is the cost of living in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

Accepted Answer

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 88.49, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 11.5% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,095/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, the average median wage is $100,411. The single highest-paying occupation here is Physicians, All Other at $313,460/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC are: 1) Physicians, All Other at $313,460; 2) Chief Executives at $312,730; 3) Nurse Anesthetists at $213,630; 4) Family Medicine Physicians at $206,360; 5) Dentists, General at $193,320. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $1,095/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
81	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	Construction & Trades	$70K	$33.65/hr
82	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	Science	$70K	$33.62/hr
83	Business Operations Specialists, All Other	Business & Finance	$69K	$33.29/hr
84	Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	Healthcare	$69K	$33.07/hr
85	Postal Service Clerks	Office & Admin	$69K	$32.95/hr
86	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$68K	N/A
87	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	Sales	$67K	$32.28/hr
88	English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$67K	N/A
89	Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	Healthcare	$67K	$31.98/hr
90	Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians	Healthcare	$66K	$31.72/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Highest paying careers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton

Affordability snapshot: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton