City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 3.0% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $103,000 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Fayetteville, NC to San Antonio, TX ($111,147 → $108,001), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: 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 | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,977 in San Antonio | $97,109 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,177/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
60 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Fayetteville → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,629 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,776 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,823 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $108,001 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $127,624 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $61,720 | $59,936 (+10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $128,430 | $124,717 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $78,650 | $76,376 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $94,370 | $91,642 (+10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.