City comparison
Fayetteville, AR vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 18.9% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $118,900 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,115 in Fayetteville, AR. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 18% in Fayetteville, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,383 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Fayetteville, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Fayetteville, AR to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (much cheaper)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, AR | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,875 in San Luis Obispo | $84,122 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.9%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,383/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,383/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, AR to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Fayetteville → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,010 | $97,620 | $82,120 (+34.6%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $135,020 | $113,581 (+8.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $88,160 | $74,162 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $138,820 | $116,778 (+49.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.