City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 3.0% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $103,000 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,843 a year in SC and $4,780 in MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Greenville, SC to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.5% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,003 in Springfield | $97,084 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$63/yr.
60 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$63/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Springfield, MA | Real change, Greenville → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $79,640 | $77,318 (+27.4%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $127,740 | $124,015 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $92,010 | $89,327 (+16.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $98,410 | $95,541 (+17.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.