City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 9.5% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $109,500 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,692 a year in CO and $3,481 in NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.7% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Fayetteville, NC ($109,246 → $111,147), while prices change by −8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.4% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- 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
| Colorado Springs, CO | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,332 in Fayetteville | $109,490 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$210/yr.
98 Strong offer
Fayetteville, NC → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$210/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Colorado Springs → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $64,453 | +11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $77,983 | +11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $93,468 | +11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $111,147 | +11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $131,342 | +11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $54,350 | $59,508 (−2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $122,900 | $134,564 (+0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $78,560 | $86,016 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $83,060 | $90,943 (−5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.