City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fayetteville, NC are 4.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $104,900 in Fayetteville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL ($111,147 → $107,510), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,373 in Tuscaloosa | $104,852 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
84 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Fayetteville → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,344 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,431 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,410 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $107,510 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $127,044 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $60,220 | $63,142 (+16.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $104,870 | $109,958 (−10.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $71,690 | $75,168 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $75,250 | $78,901 (−5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.