City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 3.2% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $103,200 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $861 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Green Bay, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Green Bay, WI to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.3% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Green Bay, WI | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,196 in Springfield | $96,903 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$861/yr.
59 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$861/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Green Bay, WI to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Springfield, MA | Real change, Green Bay → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $79,640 | $77,174 (+27.3%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $127,740 | $123,784 (+20.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $92,010 | $89,160 (+14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $98,410 | $95,362 (+12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.