City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Scranton, PA are 1.7% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $101,700 in Scranton, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Scranton, PA ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.9% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,716 in Scranton | $98,313 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,028/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
63 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Fayetteville, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Scranton, PA | Real change, Fayetteville → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $76,590 | $75,298 (+38.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $119,960 | $117,937 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $70,480 | $69,291 (−11.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $82,650 | $81,256 (−2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.