City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 2.2% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $102,200 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 $1,507 in Richmond, VA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 24% in Richmond, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $369 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to Richmond, VA ($112,556 → $111,183), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,801 in Richmond | $102,248 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$369/yr.
76 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$369/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Richmond, VA | Real change, Atlanta → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,475 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $78,009 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,499 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,183 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,385 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $61,290 | $62,668 (−18.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $132,120 | $135,090 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $84,220 | $86,113 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $93,580 | $95,684 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.