City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Green Bay, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 13.3% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $113,300 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Green Bay, WI ($120,348 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Green Bay, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,300 in Green Bay | $113,250 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $931/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $49,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Green Bay, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Green Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 74.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 90.0 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
100 Strong offer
Green Bay, WI → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Green Bay, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Green Bay, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Green Bay, WI | Real change, Anchorage → Green Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $61,722 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $74,678 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,508 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,437 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $125,776 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Green Bay, WI | Green Bay pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $60,600 | $68,630 (−13.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $103,160 | $116,829 (+12.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $77,720 | $88,018 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $84,700 | $95,923 (−16.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.