City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 4.8% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $104,800 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Nashville, TN.
- 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 Nashville, TN changes real buying power by −4.6%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,826 in Nashville | $95,396 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
54 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
84 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 Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Nashville, TN | Real change, Augusta → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $61,460 | $58,631 (−6.9%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $126,610 | $120,781 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $78,080 | $74,486 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $84,040 | $80,171 (−8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.