City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Atlanta, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 5.4% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $105,400 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.5% moving from Anchorage, AK to Atlanta, GA ($120,348 → $112,556), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Atlanta, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,914 in Atlanta | $105,359 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,660/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $51,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Atlanta |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 111.0 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.4 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 96.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
83 Strong offer
Atlanta, GA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Atlanta, GA is in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Atlanta, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Atlanta, GA | Real change, Anchorage → Atlanta |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $65,271 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $78,972 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $94,654 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $112,556 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $133,007 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Atlanta, GA | Atlanta pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $76,570 | $80,673 (+1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $132,960 | $140,085 (+34.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $85,820 | $90,419 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $100,490 | $105,875 (−8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.