City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Waterbury, CT (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $99,700 in Waterbury, CT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,445 in Waterbury, CT. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 23% in Waterbury, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Waterbury, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Waterbury, CT ($112,556 → $125,431), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.8% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Waterbury, CT: 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 | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,720 in Waterbury | $100,281 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,445/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
70 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Atlanta → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $72,737 | +11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $88,005 | +11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $105,481 | +11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $125,431 | +11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $148,222 | +11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $79,640 | $79,863 (+4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $131,290 | $131,658 (−1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $93,010 | $93,271 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $101,690 | $101,975 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.