City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 4.1% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $104,100 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,628 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Green Bay, WI to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Green Bay, WI | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,093 in Tucson | $96,068 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,628/yr.
56 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,628/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Green Bay, WI to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Green Bay → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $47,220 | $45,363 (−25.1%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $123,710 | $118,846 (+15.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $76,320 | $73,319 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $94,110 | $90,410 (+6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.