City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Greenville, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Green Bay, WI (93.1) and Greenville, SC (93.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Green Bay, WI goes as far as $100,200 in Greenville, SC.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greenville, SC and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $923 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Green Bay, WI.
- 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 Green Bay, WI to Greenville, SC changes real buying power by −0.2%, purely from prices.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (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
| Green Bay, WI | Greenville, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 93.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,187 in Greenville | $99,813 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,221/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $46,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Greenville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 76.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 88.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 93.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Greenville, SC
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$923/yr.
68 Fair offer
Greenville, SC → Green Bay, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$923/yr.
69 Fair 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 Green Bay, WI to Greenville, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Greenville, SC | Real change, Green Bay → Greenville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Greenville, SC | Greenville pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $60,680 | $60,567 (−0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $121,790 | $121,563 (+17.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $76,870 | $76,727 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $81,400 | $81,248 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.