City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Fresno, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 2.1% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $102,100 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.0% moving from Atlanta, GA to Fresno, CA ($112,556 → $106,973), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.9% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Fresno, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 102.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,099 in Fresno | $97,944 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,355/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $46,910 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Fresno, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Fresno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 161.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 102.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Fresno, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
62 Fair offer
Fresno, CA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Fresno, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Fresno, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Fresno, CA | Real change, Atlanta → Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,033 | −6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,055 | −6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,959 | −6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,973 | −6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,410 | −6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Fresno, CA | Fresno pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $78,800 | $77,180 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $129,060 | $126,407 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $78,690 | $77,072 (−10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $125,420 | $122,842 (+22.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.