City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 1.1% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $101,100 in Savannah, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,386 a year in MD and $4,567 in GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Savannah, GA ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.6% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,099 in Savannah | $98,913 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$181/yr.
65 Fair offer
Savannah, GA → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$181/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Savannah, GA | Real change, Hagerstown → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −13.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −13.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −13.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −13.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −13.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $63,710 | $63,017 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $123,220 | $121,880 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $79,790 | $78,923 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $86,760 | $85,817 (−7.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.