City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Green Bay, WI are 1.1% higher than in Winston, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Winston, NC would need about $101,100 in Green Bay, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in Winston, NC versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Winston, NC and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $438 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Winston, NC.
- 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 Winston, NC changes real buying power by +1.1%, purely from prices.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Green Bay, WI | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,880 in Winston | $101,133 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Winston, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$438/yr.
72 Strong offer
Winston, NC → Green Bay, WI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$438/yr.
65 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
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 Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Winston, NC | Real change, Green Bay → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $78,330 | $129,980 | $131,453 (+67.8%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $124,130 | $125,537 (+21.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $78,950 | $79,845 (+2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $86,120 | $87,096 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.