City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Baltimore, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 13.7% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $113,700 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,567 a year in GA and $4,386 in MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Augusta, GA to Baltimore, MD ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +13.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Baltimore, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 104.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,693 in Baltimore | $87,956 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,511/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $59,070 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Baltimore |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 118.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 102.4 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 110.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 101.5 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 104.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$181/yr.
38 Weak offer
Baltimore, MD → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$181/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Baltimore, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Baltimore, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Baltimore, MD | Real change, Augusta → Baltimore |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Baltimore, MD | Baltimore pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $76,400 | $67,199 (+6.7%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $138,900 | $122,171 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $85,160 | $74,904 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $99,550 | $87,561 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.