City comparison
Killeen, TX vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 4.5% higher than in Killeen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Killeen, TX would need about $104,500 in Savannah, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $990 in Killeen, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 15% in Killeen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Killeen, TX.
- 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 Killeen, TX to Savannah, GA changes real buying power by −4.3%, purely from prices.
- Killeen, TX: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Killeen, TX | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.1 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,470 in Savannah | $95,721 in Killeen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,660 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Killeen-Temple, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Killeen-Temple, TX and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Killeen | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 91.1 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Killeen, TX → Savannah, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
55 Fair offer
Savannah, GA → Killeen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
83 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 Killeen, TX to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Killeen, TX | Savannah, GA | Real change, Killeen → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Killeen, TX | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Killeen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,100 | $102,630 | $98,238 (−2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,320 | $123,220 | $117,947 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,270 | $79,790 | $76,376 (+4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,440 | $86,760 | $83,047 (−11.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.