City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 9.9% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $109,900 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Augusta, GA to Reno, NV ($106,437 → $106,855), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,914 in Reno | $90,980 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
41 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Reno, NV | Real change, Augusta → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,965 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,972 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,859 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,855 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,271 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $62,430 | $56,799 (−9.8%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $125,710 | $114,372 (−4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $82,370 | $74,941 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $107,520 | $97,822 (+11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.