City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 6.8% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $106,800 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,086 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Augusta, GA to Raleigh, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,805 in Raleigh | $93,629 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,086/yr.
48 Fair offer
Raleigh, NC → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,086/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Augusta → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $60,170 | $56,336 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $132,770 | $124,311 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $81,950 | $76,729 (+0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $84,830 | $79,425 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.