City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Bremerton, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 5.5% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $105,500 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,548 in Bremerton, WA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 23% in Bremerton, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.3% moving from Atlanta, GA to Bremerton, WA ($112,556 → $119,630), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Bremerton, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 105.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,546 in Bremerton | $94,746 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,548/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $63,200 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Bremerton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 129.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 92.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 105.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
52 Fair offer
Bremerton, WA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Bremerton, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Bremerton, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Bremerton, WA | Real change, Atlanta → Bremerton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,373 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $83,935 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $100,602 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $119,630 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $141,367 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Bremerton, WA | Bremerton pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $102,650 | $97,256 (+27.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $146,200 | $138,518 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $88,250 | $83,613 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $107,220 | $101,586 (+1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.