City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 1.7% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $101,700 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $849 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Green Bay, WI to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.7% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Green Bay, WI | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,703 in Pittsburgh | $98,326 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Pittsburgh, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$849/yr.
64 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Green Bay, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$849/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Green Bay, WI to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Green Bay → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | +1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | +1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | +1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | +1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | +1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $76,550 | $75,268 (+24.2%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $124,500 | $122,416 (+18.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $76,940 | $75,652 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $82,370 | $80,991 (−4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.