City comparison
Greenville, SC vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 2.0% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $102,000 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greenville, SC and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,080 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Greenville, SC to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,960 in St. Louis | $98,078 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,080/yr.
63 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Greenville, SC
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,080/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Greenville → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $60,650 | $59,484 (−2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $129,030 | $126,549 (+3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $78,880 | $77,364 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $83,180 | $81,581 (+0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.