City comparison
Fayetteville, AR vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 1.4% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $101,400 in New Orleans, LA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,115 a month in Fayetteville, AR and $1,113 in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,074 a year higher in Fayetteville, AR than in New Orleans, LA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Fayetteville, AR to New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by −1.3%, purely from prices.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (much cheaper)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, AR | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,362 in New Orleans | $98,657 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → New Orleans, LA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,074/yr.
65 Fair offer
New Orleans, LA → Fayetteville, AR
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,074/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, AR to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Fayetteville → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,010 | $60,350 | $59,539 (−2.4%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $106,950 | $105,513 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $77,940 | $76,893 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $81,850 | $80,750 (+3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.