City comparison
Greenville, SC vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 12.1% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $112,100 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $918 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Greenville, SC to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,116 in New Haven | $89,194 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$918/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$918/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | New Haven, CT | Real change, Greenville → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,050 | $136,590 | $121,830 (+12.8%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $133,040 | $118,663 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $94,960 | $84,698 (+10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $104,490 | $93,198 (+14.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.