City comparison
Fayetteville, AR vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 3.1% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $103,100 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,115 a month in Fayetteville, AR versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, AR and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $699 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Fayetteville, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Fayetteville, AR to Hagerstown, MD ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (much cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, AR | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,085 in Hagerstown | $97,008 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$699/yr.
59 Fair offer
Hagerstown, MD → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$699/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, AR to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Fayetteville → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,010 | $63,190 | $61,299 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $122,830 | $119,154 (+13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $75,250 | $72,998 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $92,770 | $89,994 (+15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.