City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Green Bay, WI (93.1) and Louisville, KY (93.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Green Bay, WI goes as far as $100,000 in Louisville, KY.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $537 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Louisville, KY.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Green Bay, WI to Louisville, KY changes real buying power by +0.0%, purely from prices.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Louisville, KY: 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
| Green Bay, WI | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,987 in Louisville | $100,013 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Louisville, KY
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$537/yr.
69 Fair offer
Louisville, KY → Green Bay, WI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$537/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Green Bay, WI to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Louisville, KY | Real change, Green Bay → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $61,610 | $61,618 (+1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $110,270 | $110,284 (+6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $76,320 | $76,330 (−1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $84,850 | $84,861 (+0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.