City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Charlotte, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Asheville, NC (96.5) and Charlotte, NC (97.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Asheville, NC goes as far as $100,900 in Charlotte, NC.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,429 in Asheville, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 23% in Asheville, NC.
- Both are in NC, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,481 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Asheville, NC to Charlotte, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by +0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Charlotte, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,872 in Charlotte | $99,135 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,538/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 97.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Charlotte, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
Charlotte, NC → Asheville, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Charlotte, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Charlotte, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Charlotte, NC | Real change, Asheville → Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $58,680 | $58,172 (+16.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $135,920 | $134,744 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $92,910 | $92,106 (+14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $90,620 | $89,836 (+10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.