City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Greenville, SC (93.3) and Scranton, PA (93.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Greenville, SC goes as far as $100,300 in Scranton, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greenville, SC and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,773 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Scranton, PA.
- 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 Scranton, PA changes real buying power by −0.3%, purely from prices.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,317 in Scranton | $99,684 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,773/yr.
68 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Greenville, SC
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,773/yr.
70 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 Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Scranton, PA | Real change, Greenville → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $76,590 | $76,348 (+25.8%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $119,960 | $119,580 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $70,480 | $70,257 (−8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $82,650 | $82,389 (+1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.