City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 8.6% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $108,600 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Waterbury, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Augusta, GA to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,569 in Waterbury | $92,107 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
44 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
96 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Augusta → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,110 | $126,810 | $116,801 (+10.1%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $131,290 | $120,928 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $93,010 | $85,669 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $101,690 | $93,664 (+6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.