City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs York, PA
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 York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA 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 $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to York, PA ($112,556 → $121,785), while prices change by −4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.8% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,944 in York | $104,227 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
82 Strong offer
York, PA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | York, PA | Real change, Atlanta → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $70,623 | +12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $85,447 | +12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $102,415 | +12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $121,785 | +12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $143,913 | +12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | York, PA | York pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $79,730 | $83,100 (+8.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $114,600 | $119,444 (−10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $75,160 | $78,337 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $96,210 | $100,277 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.