City comparison
Providence, RI vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 3.7% higher than in Raleigh, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Raleigh, NC would need about $103,700 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.8% moving from Providence, RI to Raleigh, NC ($120,548 → $111,147), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- 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
| Providence, RI | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,447 in Raleigh | $103,684 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Raleigh, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
80 Strong offer
Raleigh, NC → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Providence → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $64,453 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $77,983 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $93,468 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $111,147 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $131,342 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $60,170 | $62,387 (−28.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $132,770 | $137,661 (+5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $81,950 | $84,969 (−10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $84,830 | $87,955 (−11.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.