City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 8.2% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $108,200 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,309 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- 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 Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −7.5%, purely from prices.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,158 in Salt Lake City | $92,457 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,309/yr.
45 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,309/yr.
94 Strong 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 Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Greenville → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $77,920 | $72,043 (+18.7%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $129,600 | $119,825 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $82,100 | $75,908 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $85,890 | $79,412 (−2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.