City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 8.5% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $108,500 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC and $1,123 in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.8% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Visalia, CA ($111,147 → $106,973), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.3% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,531 in Visalia | $92,139 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
44 Weak offer
Visalia, CA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Visalia, CA | Real change, Fayetteville → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,033 | −11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,055 | −11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,959 | −11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,973 | −11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $126,410 | −11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $98,430 | $90,693 (+66.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $126,170 | $116,252 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $79,400 | $73,159 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $125,180 | $115,340 (+38.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.