City comparison
Austin, TX vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 6.6% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $106,600 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.6% moving from Austin, TX to Fayetteville, NC ($109,428 → $111,147), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,792 in Fayetteville | $106,619 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
89 Strong offer
Fayetteville, NC → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Austin → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $64,453 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $77,983 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $93,468 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $111,147 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $131,342 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $54,350 | $57,947 (−5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $122,900 | $131,035 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $78,560 | $83,760 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $83,060 | $88,558 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.