City comparison
College Station, TX vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fayetteville, NC are 1.1% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $101,100 in Fayetteville, NC to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,082 a month in College Station, TX and $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from College Station, TX to Fayetteville, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (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
| College Station, TX | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,129 in Fayetteville | $98,883 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/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 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Fayetteville, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
65 Fair offer
Fayetteville, NC → College Station, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX 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 College Station, TX to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, College Station → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $54,350 | $53,743 (−7.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $122,900 | $121,528 (+19.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $78,560 | $77,683 (+8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $83,060 | $82,133 (−1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.