City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 13.3% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $113,300 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Greenville, SC to Manchester, NH ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.0% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,293 in Manchester | $88,267 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
38 Weak offer
Manchester, NH → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Manchester, NH | Real change, Greenville → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | −0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | −0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | −0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | −0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | −0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $73,380 | $64,770 (+6.7%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $162,090 | $143,072 (+17.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $83,660 | $73,844 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $98,600 | $87,031 (+6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.