City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 9.3% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $109,300 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,086 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Columbus, GA to Durham, NC ($112,556 → $111,147), while prices change by +9.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,268 in Durham | $91,518 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,507/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 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,086/yr.
42 Weak offer
Durham, NC → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,086/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Durham, NC | Real change, Columbus → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,453 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $77,983 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,468 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,147 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,342 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $51,400 | $47,040 (−23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $135,620 | $124,117 (+6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $85,090 | $77,873 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.