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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The income-cost paradox: Atlanta pays $81,938 — 2% above the national median — while costing just 108 on the index. Only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 5-city ranking for 2026.
#1 Ranked: Atlanta — cost index 108, rent $1,888/mo, income $81,938
Atlanta: high income, low cost — a rare combo
5 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The income-cost paradox: Atlanta pays $81,938 — 2% above the national median — while costing just 108 on the index. Only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 5-city ranking for 2026.
Why Atlanta ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 108 on the cost index, residents save roughly 4% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,888/month while the median household pulls in $81,938/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 99, though Housing (119) lags behind. Home prices average $381,549 — $85,821 below the national median.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (that's pre-tax, of course).
Atlanta earns above the national median ($81,938 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 108 vs 112). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 36 of 288 cities share it.
The race is tight: Atlanta, Augusta, Macon, Savannah, Athens are all within 5 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
510,823 residents · Georgia
Look, Why Atlanta ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 108 on the cost index, residents save roughly 4% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,888/month while the median household pulls in $81,938/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 99, though Housing (119) lags behind. Home prices average $381,549 — $85,821 below the national median.
200,884 residents · Georgia
The #2 spot goes to Augusta, and the breakdown explains why. That alone makes it worth considering. Renters here pay $1,321/month — saving renters $6,888 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 73, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 92. The 30% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended (that's pre-tax, of course).
156,512 residents · Georgia
Real talk: Here's Macon by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And as a general rule, cost index: 87. Rent: $1,207/month. Income: $50,747/year. Home price: $167,317. Population: 156,512. The strongest category is Housing at 67; the most expensive is Healthcare at 90. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,256 per year vs. the national median. That's a number worth sharing with anyone who says affordable cities can't have good jobs (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
147,748 residents · Georgia
The numbers for Savannah are straightforward: 102 on the cost index, $1,736/month rent, $56,782 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. It's fine. Not great, not bad.
128,628 residents · Georgia
Here's Athens by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 103. Rent: $1,720/month. Income: $51,655/year. Home price: $332,919. Population: 128,628. The strongest category is Utilities at 94; the most expensive is Housing at 107. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,100 per year vs. the national median. At this level, the city practically pays for your move (your mileage may vary — literally).
Atlanta ranks #1 in Georgia for this analysis with a cost index of 108 and median income of $81,938.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Atlanta (ranked #1) has a cost index of 108 and rent of $1,888/mo, while Athens (ranked #5) has a cost index of 103 and rent of $1,720/mo — a 5-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Atlanta is $1,888/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $7 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Atlanta is $381,549, which is 4.7× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Georgia has a 5.49% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.38%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.83%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.