City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Charlotte, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 5.9% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $105,900 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,086 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Augusta, GA to Charlotte, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Charlotte, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,925 in Charlotte | $94,407 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,538/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 97.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,086/yr.
51 Fair offer
Charlotte, NC → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,086/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Charlotte, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Charlotte, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Charlotte, NC | Real change, Augusta → Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $58,680 | $55,398 (−12.1%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $135,920 | $128,318 (+7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $92,910 | $87,713 (+14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $90,620 | $85,551 (−2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.