City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Scranton, PA
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 Scranton, PA (93.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Green Bay, WI goes as far as $100,500 in Scranton, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,028 a month in Scranton, PA versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Scranton, 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 Scranton, PA.
- 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 Scranton, PA changes real buying power by −0.5%, purely from prices.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Green Bay, WI | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,505 in Scranton | $99,498 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,028/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$849/yr.
67 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Green Bay, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$849/yr.
70 Strong 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 Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Scranton, PA | Real change, Green Bay → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $76,590 | $76,205 (+25.8%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $119,960 | $119,357 (+15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $70,480 | $70,126 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $82,650 | $82,235 (−2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.