City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 4.2% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $104,200 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 $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,567 a year in GA and $4,780 in MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.7% moving from Atlanta, GA to Springfield, MA ($112,556 → $120,094), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.1% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,005 in Springfield | $104,161 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $51,930 |
| 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 Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$213/yr.
82 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$213/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Atlanta → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,642 | +11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $84,260 | +11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $100,992 | +11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $120,094 | +11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $141,915 | +11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $79,640 | $82,954 (+8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $127,740 | $133,055 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $92,010 | $95,838 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $98,410 | $102,505 (+2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.