City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Boulder, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boulder, CO are 5.1% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $105,100 in Boulder, CO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,795 a month in Boulder, CO versus $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Boulder, CO and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $876 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Boulder, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Boulder, CO ($112,556 → $118,675), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Boulder, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 105.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,141 in Boulder | $95,110 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,795/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $69,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Boulder, CO MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Boulder, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Boulder |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 157.0 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 82.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 105.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Boulder, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$876/yr.
48 Fair offer
Boulder, CO → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$876/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Boulder, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Boulder, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Boulder, CO | Real change, Atlanta → Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,819 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $83,265 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $99,800 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $118,675 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $140,239 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Boulder, CO | Boulder pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $80,640 | $76,697 (+0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $164,560 | $156,514 (+17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $99,990 | $95,101 (+10.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $103,290 | $98,239 (−2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.