City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 7.3% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $107,300 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Harrisburg, PA ($111,147 → $108,592), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,254 in Harrisburg | $93,237 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
48 Fair offer
Harrisburg, PA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Fayetteville → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,972 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $76,190 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $91,320 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $108,592 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $128,323 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $77,160 | $71,941 (+32.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $109,470 | $102,066 (−17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $76,510 | $71,335 (−9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $96,770 | $90,225 (+8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.