City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 23.5% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $123,500 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Los Angeles, CA ($111,147 → $124,085), while prices change by +23.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $123,471 in Los Angeles | $80,991 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.0%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Fayetteville → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $71,957 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $87,061 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $104,349 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $124,085 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $146,632 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $101,860 | $82,497 (+51.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $160,920 | $130,330 (+6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $94,360 | $76,423 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $135,560 | $109,791 (+32.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.