City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 4.3% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $104,300 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $923 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Madison, WI.
- 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 Greenville, SC to Madison, WI changes real buying power by −4.1%, purely from prices.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,318 in Madison | $95,861 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$923/yr.
56 Fair offer
Madison, WI → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$923/yr.
82 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 Greenville, SC to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Madison, WI | Real change, Greenville → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $63,690 | $61,054 (+0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $130,630 | $125,223 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $81,130 | $77,772 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $101,190 | $97,001 (+19.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.