City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 6.0% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $106,000 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $849 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Green Bay, WI to Harrisburg, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Green Bay, WI | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,977 in Harrisburg | $94,360 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$849/yr.
51 Fair offer
Harrisburg, PA → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$849/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Green Bay, WI to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Green Bay → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $77,160 | $72,808 (+20.1%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $109,470 | $103,296 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $76,510 | $72,195 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $96,770 | $91,312 (+7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.