City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fayetteville, NC are 7.1% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $107,100 in Fayetteville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to McAllen, TX ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,386 in McAllen | $107,082 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
91 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | McAllen, TX | Real change, Fayetteville → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $63,110 | $67,579 (+24.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $116,120 | $124,344 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $64,470 | $69,036 (−12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $80,540 | $86,244 (+3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.