City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 2.9% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $102,900 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC and $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Pittsburgh, PA ($111,147 → $110,047), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,928 in Pittsburgh | $97,155 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,077/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
60 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
78 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Fayetteville → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $63,815 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $77,211 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $92,543 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $110,047 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $130,042 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $99,030 | $103,630 | $100,682 (+1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $124,500 | $120,958 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $76,940 | $74,751 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $82,370 | $80,027 (−3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.