City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fayetteville, NC are 3.0% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $103,000 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,086 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Columbus, GA to Fayetteville, NC ($112,556 → $111,147), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,003 in Fayetteville | $97,084 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,086/yr.
60 Fair offer
Fayetteville, NC → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,086/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Columbus → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,453 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $77,983 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,468 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,147 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,342 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $54,350 | $52,765 (−14.0%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $122,900 | $119,316 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $78,560 | $76,269 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $83,060 | $80,638 (−2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.