City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Fayetteville, AR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fayetteville, AR are 2.3% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $102,300 in Fayetteville, AR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,115 a month in Fayetteville, AR versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, AR and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $880 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Fayetteville, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Fayetteville, AR ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Columbus, GA | Fayetteville, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 91.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,304 in Fayetteville | $97,748 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/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 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $46,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 76.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 75.1 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 91.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$880/yr.
62 Fair offer
Fayetteville, AR → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$880/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, 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 Columbus, GA to Fayetteville, AR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Fayetteville, AR | Real change, Columbus → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Fayetteville, AR | Fayetteville pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $61,010 | $59,636 (−2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $105,130 | $102,763 (−11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $77,190 | $75,452 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $77,910 | $76,156 (−7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.