City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 3.9% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $103,900 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,221 a month in Greenville, SC versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greenville, SC and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $923 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Greenville, SC to Milwaukee, WI ($106,437 → $111,310), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Milwaukee, WI: 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
| Greenville, SC | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,943 in Milwaukee | $96,207 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,119/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$923/yr.
57 Fair offer
Milwaukee, WI → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$923/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Greenville → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,548 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,098 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,606 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,310 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,535 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $61,480 | $59,148 (−2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $123,730 | $119,037 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $80,290 | $77,244 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $97,360 | $93,667 (+15.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.