City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 6.4% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $106,400 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,455 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.0% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Richmond, VA ($111,147 → $111,183), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,393 in Richmond | $93,991 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,455/yr.
50 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,455/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Richmond, VA | Real change, Fayetteville → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $64,475 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $78,009 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $93,499 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $111,183 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $131,385 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $61,290 | $57,607 (+6.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $132,120 | $124,181 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $84,220 | $79,159 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $93,580 | $87,957 (+5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.