City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Eugene, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Eugene, OR are 1.5% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $101,500 in Eugene, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,286 in Eugene, OR. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 22% in Eugene, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,353 a year higher in Eugene, OR than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Eugene, OR ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Eugene, OR: price level 101.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Eugene, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 101.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,509 in Eugene | $98,513 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,286/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $49,680 |
| 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 Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Eugene-Springfield, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Eugene |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 98.3 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 102.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 101.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Eugene, OR
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,353/yr.
64 Fair offer
Eugene, OR → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$3,353/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Eugene, OR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Eugene, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Eugene, OR | Real change, Atlanta → Eugene |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Eugene, OR | Eugene pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $64,260 | $63,305 (−17.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $121,050 | $119,250 (−10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $79,930 | $78,742 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $113,720 | $112,029 (+11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.