City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Wilmington, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Wilmington, NC are 4.9% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $104,900 in Wilmington, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,513 a month in Wilmington, NC versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, NC changes real buying power by −4.7%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Wilmington, NC: price level 96.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Wilmington, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 96.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,917 in Wilmington | $95,313 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,513/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 | $45,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Wilmington, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 93.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 96.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Wilmington, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,086/yr.
54 Fair offer
Wilmington, NC → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,086/yr.
84 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
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 Wilmington, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Wilmington, NC | Real change, Augusta → Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Wilmington, NC | Wilmington pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,110 | $145,170 | $138,366 (+30.4%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $123,730 | $117,931 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $77,920 | $74,268 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $80,970 | $77,175 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.