City comparison
Columbia, SC vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 4.2% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $104,200 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,362 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Columbia, SC to Durham, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbia, SC | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,175 in Durham | $95,993 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,362/yr.
56 Fair offer
Durham, NC → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,362/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbia, SC to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Durham, NC | Real change, Columbia → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $51,400 | $49,340 (−17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $135,620 | $130,185 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $85,090 | $81,680 (+18.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.