City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Gainesville, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Gainesville, FL are 5.3% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $105,300 in Gainesville, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,246 a month in Gainesville, FL versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Gainesville, FL and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Gainesville, FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Augusta, GA to Gainesville, FL changes real buying power by −5.0%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Gainesville, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 96.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,256 in Gainesville | $95,007 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,246/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $47,020 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Gainesville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Gainesville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 93.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 96.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Gainesville, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
53 Fair offer
Gainesville, FL → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Gainesville, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Gainesville, FL | Real change, Augusta → Gainesville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Gainesville, FL | Gainesville pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $56,430 | $53,612 (−14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $122,950 | $116,811 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $75,820 | $72,034 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $81,870 | $77,782 (−11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.