City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spartanburg, SC are 1.9% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $101,900 in Spartanburg, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,083 a month in Spartanburg, SC versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Spartanburg, SC and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,156 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in Little Rock, AR.
- 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 Little Rock, AR to Spartanburg, SC changes real buying power by −1.9%, purely from prices.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,888 in Spartanburg | $98,147 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Spartanburg, SC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$1,156/yr.
63 Fair offer
Spartanburg, SC → Little Rock, AR
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,156/yr.
75 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 Little Rock, AR to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Little Rock → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $60,990 | $59,860 (+2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $114,460 | $112,339 (+7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $77,080 | $75,652 (+15.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $82,360 | $80,834 (−0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.