City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Greenville, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 7.3% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $107,300 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $276 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Greenville, SC ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Greenville, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 93.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,206 in Greenville | $107,289 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,221/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $46,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Greenville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 76.8 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 88.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 93.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$276/yr.
92 Strong offer
Greenville, SC → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$276/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Greenville, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Greenville, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Greenville, SC | Real change, Atlanta → Greenville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Greenville, SC | Greenville pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $60,680 | $65,103 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $121,790 | $130,668 (−1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $76,870 | $82,473 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $81,400 | $87,333 (−13.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.