City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 3.3% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $103,300 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $518 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.6% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Lansing, MI ($111,147 → $117,402), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,276 in Lansing | $96,828 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$518/yr.
59 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$518/yr.
79 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Lansing, MI | Real change, Fayetteville → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $68,081 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $82,372 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $98,729 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $117,402 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $138,734 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $99,030 | $97,540 | $94,446 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $97,120 | $94,039 (−23.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $79,210 | $76,698 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $84,320 | $81,645 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.