City comparison
Durham, NC vs Jacksonville, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Jacksonville, FL are 2.0% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $102,000 in Jacksonville, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Jacksonville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Durham, NC to Jacksonville, FL ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Durham, NC | Jacksonville, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 99.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,960 in Jacksonville | $98,078 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 21% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $48,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Jacksonville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 109.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 99.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Jacksonville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
63 Fair offer
Jacksonville, FL → Durham, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Jacksonville, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Jacksonville, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Jacksonville, FL | Real change, Durham → Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $61,080 | $59,906 (+16.5%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $130,330 | $127,825 (−5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,960 | $78,423 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $83,520 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.