City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 21.6% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $121,600 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Fayetteville, NC to San Diego, CA ($111,147 → $121,585), while prices change by +21.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,645 in San Diego | $82,206 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $2,459/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% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | San Diego, CA | Real change, Fayetteville → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $70,507 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $85,307 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $102,246 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $121,585 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $143,677 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $97,000 | $79,740 (+46.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $163,270 | $134,218 (+9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $96,340 | $79,197 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $139,520 | $114,694 (+38.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.