City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Hartford, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 2.7% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $102,700 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.7% moving from Atlanta, GA to Hartford, CT ($112,556 → $120,094), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Hartford, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 102.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,686 in Hartford | $97,384 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,477/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $59,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 110.2 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 144.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 102.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
61 Fair offer
Hartford, CT → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Hartford, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Hartford, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Hartford, CT | Real change, Atlanta → Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,642 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $84,260 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $100,992 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $120,094 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $141,915 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Hartford, CT | Hartford pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $79,800 | $77,712 (+1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $132,520 | $129,053 (−2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $95,940 | $93,430 (+8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $101,470 | $98,815 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.