City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 3.4% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $103,400 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,083 a month in Spartanburg, SC versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Spartanburg, SC and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $457 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Spartanburg, SC ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,687 in Spartanburg | $103,427 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$457/yr.
79 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$457/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Hagerstown → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $60,990 | $63,080 (−0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $114,460 | $118,382 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $77,080 | $79,721 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $82,360 | $85,182 (−8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.