City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 5.8% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $105,800 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Greenville, SC to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.0% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,757 in Houston | $94,556 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
52 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Houston, TX | Real change, Greenville → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $64,500 | $60,989 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $129,440 | $122,394 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $85,090 | $80,458 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $99,830 | $94,396 (+16.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.