City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 5.3% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $105,300 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,362 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Greenville, SC to Raleigh, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greenville, SC | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,251 in Raleigh | $95,011 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,362/yr.
53 Fair offer
Raleigh, NC → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,362/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Greenville, SC to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Greenville → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $60,170 | $57,168 (−5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $132,770 | $126,146 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $81,950 | $77,862 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $84,830 | $80,598 (−1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.