City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 4.8% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $104,800 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,600 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Atlanta, GA to Columbus, OH ($112,556 → $111,065), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,414 in Columbus | $104,807 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,600/yr.
84 Strong offer
Columbus, OH → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$2,600/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Columbus, OH | Real change, Atlanta → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,406 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $77,926 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,400 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,065 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,245 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $78,150 | $81,907 (+7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $122,340 | $128,221 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $81,700 | $85,627 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $83,900 | $87,933 (−12.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.