City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 13.6% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $113,600 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $905 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from Baltimore, MD to Fayetteville, NC ($121,785 → $111,147), while prices change by −12.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.7% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,028 in Fayetteville | $113,600 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$905/yr.
100 Strong offer
Fayetteville, NC → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$905/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Baltimore → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $64,453 | +3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $77,983 | +3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $93,468 | +3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $111,147 | +3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $131,342 | +3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $54,350 | $61,742 (−19.2%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $122,900 | $139,614 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $78,560 | $89,244 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $83,060 | $94,356 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.