City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 6.8% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $106,800 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Merced, CA ($111,147 → $133,060), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,846 in Merced | $93,592 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,213/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
49 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Merced, CA | Real change, Fayetteville → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $77,161 | +12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $93,358 | +12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $111,896 | +12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $133,060 | +12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $157,236 | +12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $100,120 | $93,705 (+72.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $132,120 | $123,654 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $80,420 | $75,267 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $131,620 | $123,186 (+48.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.