City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 4.0% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $104,000 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +18.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to Modesto, CA ($112,556 → $133,060), while prices change by +4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.6% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,048 in Modesto | $96,110 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
57 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
79 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Modesto, CA | Real change, Atlanta → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $77,161 | +13.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $93,358 | +13.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $111,896 | +13.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $133,060 | +13.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $157,236 | +13.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,490 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $119,770 | $115,111 (−13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $83,560 | $80,309 (−6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $132,590 | $127,432 (+26.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.