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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. And on balance, on a $100K salary, 5 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 5 cities in Georgia using 2026 census, rent, and sal…
#1 Ranked: Macon — cost index 70, rent $1,207/mo, income $50,747
5 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K
5 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. And on balance, on a $100K salary, 5 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 5 cities in Georgia using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Macon comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
On a $100K salary, the key number is $2,500/month — for better or worse — — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Macon ($1,207/mo, 14%), Augusta ($1,321/mo, 16%), Athens ($1,720/mo, 21%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $69,807 to $69,807/year across these top picks (that's pre-tax, of course).
The #1 spot goes to Macon, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,207/month — saving renters $8,256 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 70, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 94. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
This looks affordable — until you factor in healthcare. And for the typical household, in Macon, the healthcare index sits at 94 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about (that's pre-tax, of course). Quietly competitive.
Here's where the story takes a turn: 5 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 5 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. If you're a planner, this number should anchor your spreadsheet (that's pre-tax, of course).
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. And more often than not, 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 5 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
#1-ranked Macon has a cost index 22 points lower than the top-5 average of 92. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own.
156,512 residents · Georgia
Why Macon ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. And generally speaking, at 70 on the cost index, residents save roughly 41% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,207/month while the median household pulls in $50,747/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 70, though Healthcare (94) lags behind. Home prices average $167,317 — $300,053 below the national median.
200,884 residents · Georgia
The #2 spot goes to Augusta, and the breakdown explains why. It lines up with what you'd expect. Renters here pay $1,321/month — we had to double-check this one — — saving renters $6,888 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 77, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 95. The 30% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
128,628 residents · Georgia
What does daily life actually cost in Athens? Start with the 40% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Healthcare (index 100) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 100) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $51,655 and homes at $332,919 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
147,748 residents · Georgia
At $1,736/month for rent and a cost index of 101, Savannah is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $56,782. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
510,823 residents · Georgia
The #5 spot goes to Atlanta, and the breakdown explains why. And for the typical household, take it or leave it — the data is what it is. Renters here pay $1,888/month — saving renters $84 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 102, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 110. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone. Worth a deeper look.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Macon | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $69,807 |
2Augusta | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $69,807 |
3Athens | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $69,807 |
4Savannah | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $69,807 |
5Atlanta | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $69,807 |
We model what a $100K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Macon ranks #1 in Georgia for this analysis with a cost index of 70 and median income of $50,747.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Macon, rent would consume about 14% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
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.
Macon (ranked #1) has a cost index of 70 and rent of $1,207/mo, while Atlanta (ranked #5) has a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,888/mo — a 40-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 Macon is $1,207/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $688 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 5.49% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in Macon is approximately $69,807/year ($5,817/month). After median rent of $1,207/month, you'd have roughly $55,323/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Macon is $167,317, which is 3.3× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. 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.