City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spartanburg, SC are 1.3% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $101,300 in Spartanburg, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,083 a month in Spartanburg, SC versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Spartanburg, SC and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg, SC changes real buying power by −1.3%, purely from prices.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,267 in Spartanburg | $98,749 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,083/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Spartanburg, SC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
65 Fair offer
Spartanburg, SC → El Paso, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
73 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 Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, El Paso → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $60,990 | $60,227 (−5.6%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $114,460 | $113,028 (−11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $77,080 | $76,116 (+15.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $82,360 | $81,330 (−5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.