City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 4.4% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $104,400 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC and $1,060 in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.6% moving from Fayetteville, NC to York, PA ($111,147 → $121,785), while prices change by +4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,373 in York | $95,810 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
56 Fair offer
York, PA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | York, PA | Real change, Fayetteville → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $70,623 | +5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $85,447 | +5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $102,415 | +5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $121,785 | +5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $143,913 | +5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | York, PA | York pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $79,730 | $76,390 (+40.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $114,600 | $109,799 (−10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $75,160 | $72,011 (−8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $96,210 | $92,179 (+11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.