City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 4.7% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $104,700 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Nashville, TN ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,740 in Nashville | $95,474 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
55 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Nashville, TN | Real change, Fayetteville → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $61,460 | $58,678 (+8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $126,610 | $120,880 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $78,080 | $74,546 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $84,040 | $80,237 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.