City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 12.3% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $112,300 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,190 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Phoenix, AZ ($111,147 → $111,338), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,327 in Phoenix | $89,026 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,190/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,190/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Fayetteville → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $64,564 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $78,117 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $93,629 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $111,338 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $131,568 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $59,180 | $52,686 (−3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $131,750 | $117,292 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $80,820 | $71,951 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $100,830 | $89,765 (+8.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.