City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Charleston, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Charleston, SC (101.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $100,900 in Charleston, SC.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA and $1,630 in Charleston, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $276 a year higher in Charleston, SC than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Charleston, SC ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Charleston, SC: 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
| Atlanta, GA | Charleston, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,903 in Charleston | $99,105 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,630/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $49,150 |
| 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 119.8 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Charleston, SC
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$276/yr.
64 Fair offer
Charleston, SC → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$276/yr.
69 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Charleston, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Charleston, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Charleston, SC | Real change, Atlanta → Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Charleston, SC | Charleston pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,490 | $110,310 | $109,322 (−16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $132,150 | $130,967 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $79,350 | $78,640 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $92,800 | $91,969 (−8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.