City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 8.0% higher than in Utica, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Utica, NY would need about $108,000 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 Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Utica, NY than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Utica, NY ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.1% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,624 in Utica | $107,963 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $48,970 |
| 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 Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Utica, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
94 Strong offer
Utica, NY → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Utica, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Utica, NY | Real change, Atlanta → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Utica, NY | Utica pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $77,010 | $83,142 (+8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $113,390 | $122,419 (−7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $79,830 | $86,187 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $94,300 | $101,809 (+1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.