City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $100,200 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Atlanta, GA to Port St. Lucie, FL ($112,556 → $113,356), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,170 in Port St. Lucie | $99,830 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
68 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Atlanta → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $65,735 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $79,533 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $95,326 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $113,356 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $133,953 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $53,610 | $53,519 (−30.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $128,510 | $128,292 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $79,430 | $79,295 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $82,090 | $81,951 (−18.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.