City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greenville, SC are 6.9% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $106,900 in Greenville, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greenville, SC and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,229 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Lafayette, LA.
- 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 Greenville, SC to Lafayette, LA changes real buying power by +6.9%, purely from prices.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,512 in Lafayette | $106,939 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,229/yr.
90 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Greenville, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,229/yr.
48 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 Greenville, SC to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Greenville → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $47,770 | $51,085 (−15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $109,010 | $116,574 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $67,630 | $72,323 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $81,960 | $87,647 (+7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.