City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Greenville, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greenville, SC are 3.7% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $103,700 in Greenville, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greenville, SC and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in El Paso, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from El Paso, TX to Greenville, SC changes real buying power by −3.6%, purely from prices.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| El Paso, TX | Greenville, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 93.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,724 in Greenville | $96,410 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,221/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $46,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Greenville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 76.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 88.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 93.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Greenville, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
58 Fair offer
Greenville, SC → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Greenville, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Greenville, SC | Real change, El Paso → Greenville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Greenville, SC | Greenville pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $60,680 | $58,502 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $121,790 | $117,418 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $76,870 | $74,110 (+12.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $81,400 | $78,478 (−8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.