City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Huntington, WV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 10.1% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $110,100 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $404 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Charlotte, NC to Huntington, WV ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.7% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Charlotte, NC | Huntington, WV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 88.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,831 in Huntington | $110,095 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $853/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,295 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,885 (WV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $44,600 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Huntington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 51.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 88.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$404/yr.
100 Strong offer
Huntington, WV → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$404/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Huntington, WV is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Huntington, WV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Huntington, WV | Real change, Charlotte → Huntington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | +7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | +7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | +7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | +7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | +7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Huntington, WV | Huntington pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $57,450 | $63,249 (+7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $110,780 | $121,963 (−10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $70,840 | $77,991 (−16.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $81,010 | $89,188 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.