City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 7.2% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $107,200 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Houston, TX ($111,147 → $122,749), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,231 in Houston | $93,257 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
48 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Houston, TX | Real change, Fayetteville → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $71,181 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $86,123 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $103,225 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $122,749 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $145,052 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $64,500 | $60,150 (+10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $129,440 | $120,711 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $85,090 | $79,352 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $99,830 | $93,098 (+12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.