City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Fayetteville, AR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 9.5% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $109,500 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,115 in Fayetteville, AR. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Fayetteville, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $880 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Fayetteville, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Fayetteville, AR ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Fayetteville, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 91.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,300 in Fayetteville | $109,529 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,115/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,493 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,687 (AR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $46,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 76.9 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 75.1 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 91.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$880/yr.
99 Strong offer
Fayetteville, AR → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$880/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Fayetteville, AR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Fayetteville, AR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Fayetteville, AR | Real change, Atlanta → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Fayetteville, AR | Fayetteville pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $61,010 | $66,824 (−12.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $105,130 | $115,148 (−13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $77,190 | $84,545 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $77,910 | $85,334 (−15.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.