City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 3.4% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $103,400 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $281 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Fayetteville, NC to St. Louis, MO ($111,147 → $109,137), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,381 in St. Louis | $96,729 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$281/yr.
59 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$281/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Fayetteville → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $63,288 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $76,573 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $91,779 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $109,137 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $128,967 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $60,650 | $58,666 (+7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $129,030 | $124,810 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $78,880 | $76,300 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $83,180 | $80,459 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.