City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 13.5% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $113,500 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in Kingsport, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Kingsport, TN to Raleigh, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +13.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.0% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kingsport, TN | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,546 in Raleigh | $88,070 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
37 Weak offer
Raleigh, NC → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.5%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Kingsport, TN to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Kingsport → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $60,170 | $52,992 (−8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $132,770 | $116,931 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $81,950 | $72,173 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $84,830 | $74,710 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.