City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 9.1% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $109,100 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Spokane, WA ($111,147 → $106,991), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,098 in Spokane | $91,661 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
43 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Spokane, WA | Real change, Fayetteville → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,044 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,068 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,974 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,991 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $126,432 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $98,800 | $90,561 (+66.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $130,690 | $119,792 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $86,350 | $79,149 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $111,750 | $102,431 (+23.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.