City comparison
Austin, TX vs Green Bay, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 5.3% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $105,300 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Green Bay, WI ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Green Bay, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,922 in Green Bay | $105,350 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $931/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Green Bay, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Green Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 74.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 90.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
85 Strong offer
Green Bay, WI → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Green Bay, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Green Bay, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Green Bay, WI | Real change, Austin → Green Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Green Bay, WI | Green Bay pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $60,600 | $63,842 (+4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $103,160 | $108,679 (−19.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $77,720 | $81,878 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $84,700 | $89,231 (−8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.