City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 6.8% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $106,800 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Lancaster, PA ($111,147 → $108,592), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,827 in Lancaster | $93,610 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
49 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Fayetteville → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,972 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $76,190 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $91,320 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $108,592 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $128,323 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $78,360 | $73,352 (+35.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $104,740 | $98,047 (−20.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $76,110 | $71,246 (−9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $89,620 | $83,893 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.