City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 8.0% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $108,000 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Durham, NC ($120,348 → $111,147), while prices change by −7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,555 in Durham | $108,043 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
94 Strong offer
Durham, NC → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Durham, NC | Real change, Anchorage → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $64,453 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $77,983 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $93,468 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $111,147 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $131,342 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $51,400 | $55,534 (−29.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $135,620 | $146,528 (+40.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $85,090 | $91,934 (+11.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.