City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 6.5% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $106,500 in Virginia Beach, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,455 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Virginia Beach, VA ($111,147 → $108,019), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,483 in Virginia Beach | $93,912 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,455/yr.
50 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,455/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Fayetteville → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,640 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,788 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,838 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $108,019 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $127,646 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $63,380 | $59,521 (+9.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $129,090 | $121,231 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $79,450 | $74,613 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $89,450 | $84,004 (+1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.