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Place dossier plate
SheetNC-FAYETTEVILLE-NC · Fayetteville, NC 209,692 pop · income 29th pct · 81 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Fayetteville
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Fayetteville on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Rochester · lowest
46,628
Rochester · lowest
46,628 median HH income
31.9% of the leader · rank #1
Springfield · near
56,389
Springfield · near
56,389 median HH income
38.6% of the leader · rank #2
Frackville · near
56,394
Frackville · near
56,394 median HH income
38.6% of the leader · rank #3
Fayetteville · this city
56,395
Fayetteville · this city
56,395 median HH income
38.6% of the leader · rank #4
Blossom · near
56,397
Blossom · near
56,397 median HH income
38.6% of the leader · rank #5
Schenectady · near
56,398
Schenectady · near
56,398 median HH income
38.6% of the leader · rank #6
Frisco · highest
146,158
Frisco · highest
146,158 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Fayetteville on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 209,692.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Fayetteville - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Fayetteville places in the 29th percentile for household income and the 9th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
29th
percentile, household income
34th
percentile, home value
48th
percentile, median rent
9th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Fayetteville, NC
209,692 people live in Fayetteville, North Carolina - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Fayetteville brings in $56,395 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.5%. Typical homes in Fayetteville are valued around $171,900, and the median resident age is 30.7 years. Educational attainment runs 28.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 46.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 525 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Stable), up 1% from five years earlier. Fayetteville's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3754.8 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 61.9°F with 47.9 inches of precipitation per year and 1.2 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Carolina scores 94.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,161 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 66.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Fayetteville's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to schools and households to reported crime to housing and income to within-city variation to population change to climate and hazard context to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Fayetteville, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for Fayetteville?
Within North Carolina, the closest population matches are Cary (176,686 residents, $129,399 income); Winston-Salem (250,887 residents, $57,673 income); Durham (288,465 residents, $79,234 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Rochester, NY (209,720 residents); Yonkers, NY (209,529 residents); Frisco, TX (210,238 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
What does the education layer cover for Fayetteville?
The NCES join finds 68 public schools within the city match. 28.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Fayetteville?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3754.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 65% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
What can 81 Census tracts reveal inside Fayetteville?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 81 Census tracts to this city.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Fayetteville?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$56,395
Home value
$171,900
Value / income
3.0×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Is Fayetteville growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -1,707 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 525 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-0.8%
2025 estimate
209,120
2020 estimate
210,827
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What physical conditions frame life in Fayetteville?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 61.9°F, with 47.9 inches of precipitation and 1.2 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for North Carolina is 66.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
61.9°F
Annual precipitation
47.9 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
66.7
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What does the journey to work look like in Fayetteville?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 74.2%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.6%
Work from home
6.6%
Drive alone
74.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 101,236 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 14.5% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average
F
City profile score · Fayetteville, NC
35/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B-
94.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share C
28.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$56,395
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
14.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
660 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Fayetteville profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 67/100 (B-) · 94.3 index
Bachelor's+ share: 56/100 (C) · 28.6%
Household income: 29/100 (F) · $56,395
Poverty rate: 24/100 (F) · 14.5%
Violent crime: 7/100 (F) · 660 /100k
Where Fayetteville sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Fayetteville's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Fayetteville highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Fayetteville, NC (this city): home $171,900, crime 3,755/100k
Rochester, NY : home $120,600, crime 3,872/100k
Yonkers, NY : home $478,000, crime 1,327/100k
Frisco, TX : home $595,400, crime 1,104/100k
Moreno Valley, CA : home $461,400, crime 1,938/100k
Fontana, CA : home $558,500, crime 1,487/100k
Des Moines, IA : home $183,700, crime 3,830/100k
Cary, NC : home $525,200, crime 1,388/100k
Winston-Salem, NC : home $208,200, crime 3,731/100k
Durham, NC : home $355,300, crime 4,419/100k
Greensboro, NC : home $221,300, crime 4,307/100k
Wilmington, NC : home $350,300, crime 3,998/100k
High Point, NC : home $212,400, crime 2,911/100k
How does Fayetteville compare to other US cities?
Fayetteville measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income29% higher than other cities
Home value34% pricier than other cities
Median rent48% pricier than other cities
Safety9% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at North Carolina, Fayetteville ranks #147 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Fayetteville against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
North Carolina-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Fayetteville near the bottom of North Carolina's cities
Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Fayetteville ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Fayetteville only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#382 of 700
45th percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 746
0th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#422 of 708
40th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#251 of 746
66th percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#246 of 746
67th percentile in North Carolina
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
29th percentile nationally for median household income · 9th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Fayetteville's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Fayetteville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Fayetteville's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$171,900Among the most affordablemore affordable than 66% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Fayetteville's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#6,934 of 15,516
More affordable than 55% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#13 of 117
Large cities (200,000–999,999)
At 3.0×, Fayetteville sits in the moderate band:
national rank #6,934 of 15,516 and #13 of 117large cities (200,000–999,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$56,395Fayetteville, NC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Fayetteville, NC median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Fayetteville, NC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)28.6%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)14.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)46.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
209,692
Median Income
$56,395
Median Home Value
$171,900
Median Age
30.7
Poverty Rate
14.5%
Labor force participation
46.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.6%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3754.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
660.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3094.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
61.9°F
Annual Precipitation
47.9"
Annual Snowfall
1.2"
Schools
Total Schools
68
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Fayetteville's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
210,827 residents
2021
212,223 residents
2022
211,271 residents
2023
209,625 residents
2024
209,047 residents
2025
209,120 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
525
housing units authorized
Single-Family
431
detached homes
Multifamily
94
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
522
240
282
$72.7M
2020
291
225
66
$63.9M
2021
397
337
60
$70.7M
2022
649
321
328
$104.3M
2023
515
515
0
$105.1M
2024
525
431
94
$112.7M
Permit volume increased 1% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
74.2%
Carpool
9.9%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
7.0%
Work from Home
6.6%
Other
1.7%
Based on 101,236 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
North Carolina statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $215
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across North Carolina at $215 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are North Carolina statewide averages, not a meter reading for Fayetteville. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
North Carolina's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Fayetteville is $1,161/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to North Carolina statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 66.7 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a North Carolina statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Fayetteville sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Fayetteville compares to similar-size North Carolina cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.