City comparison
Roanoke, VA vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 1.7% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $101,700 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 $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $369 a year higher in Roanoke, VA than in Savannah, GA.
- 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 Roanoke, VA to Savannah, GA changes real buying power by −1.7%, purely from prices.
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (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
| Roanoke, VA | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,696 in Savannah | $98,332 in Roanoke |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,053/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,140 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Roanoke, VA and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Roanoke | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.5 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 88.9 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Roanoke, VA → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$369/yr.
64 Fair offer
Savannah, GA → Roanoke, VA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$369/yr.
74 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 Roanoke, VA to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Roanoke, VA | Savannah, GA | Real change, Roanoke → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Roanoke, VA | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Roanoke dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,010 | $63,710 | $62,647 (+1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $121,110 | $123,220 | $121,165 (+0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,240 | $79,790 | $78,459 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,090 | $86,760 | $85,313 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.