City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fayetteville, NC are 1.3% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $101,300 in Fayetteville, NC to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA and $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $868 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Fayetteville, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,320 in Fayetteville | $98,698 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Fayetteville, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$868/yr.
65 Fair offer
Fayetteville, NC → Baton Rouge, LA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$868/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Baton Rouge → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $54,350 | $53,642 (−9.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $122,900 | $121,299 (+19.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $78,560 | $77,537 (+6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $83,060 | $81,978 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.