City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 24.2% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $124,200 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Green Bay, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Green Bay, WI to San Francisco, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +24.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Green Bay, WI | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,200 in San Francisco | $80,515 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Green Bay, WI to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Green Bay → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $101,860 | $82,013 (+35.3%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $186,640 | $150,274 (+45.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $110,730 | $89,154 (+14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $186,610 | $150,249 (+77.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.