City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Green Bay, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 4.6% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $104,600 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $438 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Charlotte, NC to Green Bay, WI ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- 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
| Charlotte, NC | Green Bay, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,622 in Green Bay | $104,579 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $931/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $49,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Green Bay, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Green Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 74.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 90.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$438/yr.
83 Strong offer
Green Bay, WI → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$438/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Green Bay, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Green Bay, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Green Bay, WI | Real change, Charlotte → Green Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Green Bay, WI | Green Bay pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $60,600 | $63,375 (+8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $103,160 | $107,883 (−20.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $77,720 | $81,278 (−12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $84,700 | $88,578 (−2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.