City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 2.4% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $102,400 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $905 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.6% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Hagerstown, MD ($111,147 → $121,785), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (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, NC | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,384 in Hagerstown | $97,671 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$905/yr.
61 Fair offer
Hagerstown, MD → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$905/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Fayetteville → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $70,623 | +7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $85,447 | +7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $102,415 | +7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $121,785 | +7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $143,913 | +7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $63,190 | $61,718 (+13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $122,830 | $119,970 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $75,250 | $73,498 (−6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $92,770 | $90,610 (+9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.