Fayetteville, North Carolina
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Fayetteville.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Fayetteville compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 209,692City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $56,395Incorporated place (ACS)28% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 72ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)28% below U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $171,900City limits (ACS)43% below U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,179City limits (ACS)13% below U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.3%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 20 min20% below U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 2838% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 875.4annualized per 100k · citywide45% above U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 3526annualized per 100k · citywide14% above U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 90°F3.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 36°F2.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 44.6 in36% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 2477% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Fayetteville with another city
Relocators eyeing Fayetteville, North Carolina will find roughly 209,692 residents within city limits. Households here report a median income near $56,395; our housing-derived cost index is about 72 (among the more affordable large markets in this catalog on housing costs). Entry home prices around $171,900 still look attainable compared with coastal metros.
Piedmont research corridors and coastal storm exposure both matter. Pack for 90°F summer peaks; winter mornings often settle near 36°F. Commutes average near 20 minutes one-way, with walkability near 28/100. BLS LAUS puts recent unemployment around 4.3% for the surrounding county. FBI CDE violent-offense rates run comparatively high (~875.4 per 100k annualized), so block-by-block due diligence is especially important.
Fayetteville is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Fayetteville with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Fayetteville city, 1600000US3722920)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN370510000000003 (Cumberland County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00093740 FAYETTEVILLE RGNL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28
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