City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 4.0% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $104,000 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from San Antonio, TX to Spartanburg, SC ($108,001 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (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
| San Antonio, TX | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,131 in Spartanburg | $104,025 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
81 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, San Antonio → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $61,722 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $74,678 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,508 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,437 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $125,776 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $60,990 | $63,445 (+2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $114,460 | $119,067 (−7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $77,080 | $80,183 (+1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $82,360 | $85,675 (−9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.