City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 20.6% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $120,600 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,589 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.0% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,147 → $111,119), while prices change by +20.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.1% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,639 in Urban Honolulu | $82,892 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,589/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Fayetteville → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $64,438 | −17.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $77,964 | −17.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $93,445 | −17.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $111,119 | −17.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $131,310 | −17.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $73,080 | $60,578 (+11.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $120,230 | $99,661 (−18.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $74,990 | $62,161 (−20.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $139,260 | $115,436 (+39.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.