City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Austin, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 6.7% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $106,700 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.8% moving from Augusta, GA to Austin, TX ($106,437 → $109,428), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 98.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,706 in Austin | $93,715 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,562/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $56,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 120.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 98.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
49 Fair offer
Austin, TX → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Austin, TX is in Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Austin, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Austin, TX | Real change, Augusta → Austin |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,457 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,777 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,023 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,428 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $129,311 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Austin, TX | Austin pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $61,270 | $57,419 (−8.9%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $134,120 | $125,691 (+4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $83,120 | $77,896 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $97,890 | $91,738 (+4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.