City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Greensboro, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greensboro, NC are 1.0% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $101,000 in Greensboro, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Greensboro, NC versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Greensboro, 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 Greensboro, NC.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Augusta, GA to Greensboro, NC changes real buying power by −1.0%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Greensboro, NC: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Greensboro, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,047 in Greensboro | $98,964 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,213/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% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $46,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Greensboro-High Point, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Greensboro-High Point, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Greensboro |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 74.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 89.1 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Greensboro, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,086/yr.
66 Fair offer
Greensboro, NC → Augusta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,086/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Greensboro, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Greensboro, NC | Real change, Augusta → Greensboro |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Greensboro, NC | Greensboro pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $59,730 | $59,111 (−6.2%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $125,190 | $123,893 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $80,170 | $79,340 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $82,860 | $82,002 (−6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.