City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.6% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $106,600 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.8% moving from Atlanta, GA to Sacramento, CA ($112,556 → $117,984), while prices change by +6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,608 in Sacramento | $93,801 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
42 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Atlanta → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,419 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $82,780 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $99,218 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $117,984 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $139,422 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $103,390 | $96,981 (+26.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $139,640 | $130,984 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $92,110 | $86,401 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $171,460 | $160,832 (+60.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.