City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Augusta, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 8.9% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $108,900 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- Both are in GA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,567 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Augusta, GA ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Augusta, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,850 in Augusta | $108,873 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,114/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $45,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Augusta |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 70.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.5 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
96 Strong offer
Augusta, GA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Augusta, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Augusta, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Augusta, GA | Real change, Atlanta → Augusta |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Augusta, GA | Augusta pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $63,000 | $68,590 (−10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $119,780 | $130,409 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $76,710 | $83,517 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $87,760 | $95,547 (−4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.