City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 10.6% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $110,600 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.5% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Providence, RI ($111,147 → $120,548), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,649 in Providence | $90,376 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
39 Weak offer
Providence, RI → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Providence, RI | Real change, Fayetteville → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $69,905 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $84,579 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $101,375 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $120,548 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $142,452 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $86,720 | $78,374 (+44.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $130,690 | $118,112 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $95,020 | $85,875 (+9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $99,880 | $90,267 (+8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.