City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 1.7% higher than in Syracuse, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Syracuse, NY would need about $101,700 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 $1,123 in Syracuse, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 18% in Syracuse, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,378 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Charlotte, NC to Syracuse, NY ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Charlotte, NC | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,350 in Syracuse | $101,677 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Syracuse, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,378/yr.
74 Strong offer
Syracuse, NY → Charlotte, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,378/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Charlotte → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $78,560 | $79,878 (+36.1%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $129,100 | $131,266 (−3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $82,230 | $83,609 (−10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $86,960 | $88,419 (−2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.