City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 5.8% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $105,800 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $438 a year higher in Madison, WI than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Madison, WI ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,772 in Madison | $94,543 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$438/yr.
52 Fair offer
Madison, WI → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$438/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Madison, WI | Real change, Fayetteville → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $63,690 | $60,214 (+10.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $130,630 | $123,501 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $81,130 | $76,703 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $101,190 | $95,668 (+15.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.