City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Greenville, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greenville, SC are 1.4% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $101,400 in Greenville, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greenville, SC and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,362 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Greenville, SC ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Greenville, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 93.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,394 in Greenville | $98,625 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,221/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $46,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Greenville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 76.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 88.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 93.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Greenville, SC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,362/yr.
64 Fair offer
Greenville, SC → Fayetteville, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,362/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Greenville, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Greenville, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Greenville, SC | Real change, Fayetteville → Greenville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Greenville, SC | Greenville pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $60,680 | $59,846 (+10.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $121,790 | $120,116 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $76,870 | $75,813 (−3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $81,400 | $80,281 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.