City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 8.5% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $108,500 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $444 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.9% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Waterbury, CT ($111,147 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,480 in Waterbury | $92,183 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$444/yr.
44 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$444/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Fayetteville → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $72,737 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $88,005 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $105,481 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $125,431 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $148,222 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $79,640 | $73,414 (+35.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $131,290 | $121,027 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $93,010 | $85,739 (+9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $101,690 | $93,741 (+12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.