Most of Hickory is in Catawba County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $32.87 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 3 ZIP codes in Hickory with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,050 to $1,110 a month. At the middle rent, $1,050, a full-time job would need to pay $32.54 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28601 | Catawba County | $1,110/mo | $34.52/hr |
| 28602 | Catawba County | $1,050/mo | $32.54/hr |
| 28603 | Catawba County | $1,050/mo | $32.54/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Hickory needs to pay at least $32.87 an hour before taxes, about $68,370 a year. That is the figure for Catawba County, where the typical studio rent is $1,060 a month.
Yes. Across the 3 ZIP codes in Hickory with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,050 to $1,110 a month. At the middle rent of $1,050, the pay needed would be $32.54 an hour.
The minimum wage in Catawba County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.5 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads