City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Baton Rouge, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 10.2% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $110,200 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,953 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Baton Rouge, LA ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.2% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Baton Rouge, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 90.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,727 in Baton Rouge | $110,220 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,064/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $48,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Baton Rouge, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 74.2 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 90.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,953/yr.
100 Strong offer
Baton Rouge, LA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,953/yr.
37 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Baton Rouge, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Baton Rouge, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Baton Rouge, LA | Real change, Atlanta → Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Baton Rouge, LA | Baton Rouge pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,490 | $107,380 | $118,355 (−10.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $101,900 | $112,314 (−15.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $73,070 | $80,538 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $81,130 | $89,422 (−11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.