City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 22.4% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $122,400 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,378 a year higher in New York, NY than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.9% moving from Fayetteville, NC to New York, NY ($111,147 → $125,431), while prices change by +22.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,380 in New York | $81,712 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.3%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$1,378/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,378/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | New York, NY | Real change, Fayetteville → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $72,737 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $88,005 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $105,481 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $125,431 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $148,222 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | New York, NY | New York pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $96,900 | $79,179 (+45.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $166,830 | $136,321 (+10.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $105,650 | $86,329 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $119,720 | $97,826 (+17.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.