City comparison

Canton, OH vs Fayetteville, NC

What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.

Key findings

  • Prices in Fayetteville, NC are 2.9% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $102,900 in Fayetteville, NC to live the same way.
  • Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 13% in Canton, OH.
  • On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Canton, OH.
  • For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.0% moving from Canton, OH to Fayetteville, NC ($111,138 → $111,147), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
CantonFayetteville
Price level (U.S. = 100):Under 9292–9898–102102–108Over 108
  • Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
  • Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)

Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.

Side by side

Canton, OHFayetteville, NC
Price level (U.S. = 100)289.492.0
$100,000 is worth, in the other city2$102,877 in Fayetteville$97,204 in Canton
Typical 1-bedroom rent3$846/mo$1,113/mo
Take-home on $100,00014,15,8$77,212$75,699
State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8$1,968 (OH)$3,481 (NC)
Rent burden on $100,00013%18%
Median pay, all jobs4$45,810$45,620
Federal locality pay area7Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC

Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Fayetteville, NC.

What costs more or less

Canton, OHFayetteville, NC
Price level (U.S. = 100)CantonFayetteville
Housing (rent)58.173.1
Goods93.696.6
Utilities96.987.8
Other services98.998.2
Overall89.492.0
BEA Regional Price Parities2. Housing covers rents.

Moving with the same $100,000 salary

Canton, OH → Fayetteville, NC

Same pay buys less

Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.

60 Fair offer

Fayetteville, NC → Canton, OH

Same pay goes further

Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.

78 Strong offer

On the GS pay scale?

Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.

Grade5,2Canton, OHFayetteville, NCReal change, Canton → Fayetteville
GS-9 step 1$64,448$64,453−2.8%
GS-11 step 1$77,977$77,983−2.8%
GS-12 step 1$93,461$93,468−2.8%
GS-13 step 1$111,138$111,147−2.8%
GS-14 step 1$131,331$131,342−2.8%

Pay for common jobs

Median annual pay4Canton, OHFayetteville, NCFayetteville pay in Canton dollars
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$77,940$54,350$52,830 (−32.2%)
Software Developers$105,500$122,900$119,463 (+13.2%)
Accountants and Auditors$72,170$78,560$76,363 (+5.8%)
Registered Nurses$79,610$83,060$80,737 (+1.4%)

"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.

Check your own offer

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Taxes are estimates for a single filer taking the standard deduction; city and county income taxes are not included. See the methodology.

Notes & Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, Metropolitan Statistical Area population estimates (Vintage 2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by MSA (MARPP), all items (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, metropolitan areas (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  5. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule (GS) pay rates with locality pay, 2026 (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  6. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Locality codes used in the 2026 GS pay spreadsheet (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  7. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2026 Locality Pay Area Definitions (counties in each pay area) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  8. Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  9. U.S. Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file: states, 1:20,000,000 (2024) (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  10. U.S. Census Bureau, Gazetteer file: core based statistical areas (2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  11. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table C24010 (occupation of employed residents) by ZIP code area (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  12. U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files (2020; Connecticut 2022) and Gazetteer locations (2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  13. U.S. Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary files (ZIP code areas 2020; counties and states 2024) and TIGER/Line primary roads (2024) (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  14. Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax brackets and standard deduction) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  15. Internal Revenue Service, Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide for 2026 (Social Security and Medicare) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  16. U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, O*NET 31.0 Database: Job Titles (used under CC BY 4.0; O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA) (2026). Retrieved 2026-10-14.