City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ogden, UT are 9.1% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $109,100 in Ogden, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,481 a year in NC and $3,534 in UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Ogden, UT ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.2% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,101 in Ogden | $91,658 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Ogden, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$53/yr.
43 Weak offer
Ogden, UT → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$53/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Ogden, UT | Real change, Fayetteville → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −12.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −12.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −12.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −12.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −12.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $63,910 | $58,579 (+7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $109,880 | $100,714 (−18.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $82,010 | $75,169 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $81,840 | $75,013 (−9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.