City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 14.4% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $114,400 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,843 a year in SC and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Greenville, SC to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +14.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,379 in Sacramento | $87,429 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.6%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$228/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$228/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Greenville → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,050 | $133,570 | $116,778 (+8.1%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $139,640 | $122,085 (+0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $92,110 | $80,530 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $171,460 | $149,905 (+84.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.