City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Lincoln, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 9.3% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $109,300 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 $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $897 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Lincoln, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Lincoln, NE ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Lincoln, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,528 in Lincoln | $109,256 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $49,800 |
| 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 Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Lincoln, NE.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 84.2 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 76.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$897/yr.
98 Strong offer
Lincoln, NE → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$897/yr.
40 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Lincoln, NE is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Lincoln, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Lincoln, NE | Real change, Atlanta → Lincoln |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,490 | $78,190 | $85,427 (−35.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $101,690 | $111,103 (−16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $65,170 | $71,202 (−17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $87,530 | $95,632 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.