City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 7.3% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $107,300 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Augusta, GA to Harrisburg, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,341 in Harrisburg | $93,161 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
47 Fair offer
Harrisburg, PA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Augusta → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $77,160 | $71,883 (+14.1%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $109,470 | $101,983 (−14.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $76,510 | $71,277 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $96,770 | $90,152 (+2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.