City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Visalia, CA (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $99,800 in Visalia, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Visalia, 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 Visalia, CA ($112,556 → $106,973), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,767 in Visalia | $100,233 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $45,130 |
| 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 Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
69 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Atlanta → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,033 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,055 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,959 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,973 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,410 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $98,430 | $98,660 (+28.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $126,170 | $126,464 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $79,400 | $79,585 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $125,180 | $125,472 (+24.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.