City comparison
Spartanburg, SC vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 5.5% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $105,500 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 $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 17% in Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg, SC to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much 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
| Spartanburg, SC | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.1 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,502 in Springfield | $94,785 in Spartanburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,083/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 | 17% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,650 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Spartanburg, SC and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spartanburg | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.0 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 91.1 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spartanburg, SC → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$63/yr.
52 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$63/yr.
86 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg, SC to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spartanburg, SC | Springfield, MA | Real change, Spartanburg → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spartanburg, SC | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Spartanburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,260 | $128,910 | $122,187 (+16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $114,460 | $127,740 | $121,078 (+5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,080 | $92,010 | $87,211 (+13.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,360 | $98,410 | $93,277 (+13.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.