City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Greeley, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 8.9% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $108,900 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,238 a month in Greeley, CO versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,481 a year in NC and $3,692 in CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Greeley, CO ($111,147 → $118,675), while prices change by +8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Greeley, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,913 in Greeley | $91,816 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,238/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $55,070 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Greeley, CO MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Greeley, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Greeley |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 112.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$210/yr.
43 Weak offer
Greeley, CO → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$210/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Greeley, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Greeley, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Greeley, CO | Real change, Fayetteville → Greeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $68,819 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $83,265 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $99,800 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $118,675 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $140,239 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Greeley, CO | Greeley pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $60,160 | $55,237 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $129,480 | $118,884 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $87,240 | $80,101 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $96,300 | $88,419 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.