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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. On a $150K 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 …
156,512 residents · Georgia
Dive into Macon's numbers: cost index 70 (41 points below national average), rent $1,207/month, income $50,747, and a home price of $167,317. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 70, while Healthcare runs 94. With 156,512 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
200,884 residents · Georgia
Look, a closer look at Augusta: the cost index of 77 breaks down to a Housing index of 77 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). Median rent is $1,321/month — 30% below the national median — while household income sits at $53,134, meaning locals spend about 30% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
128,628 residents · Georgia
Here's the thing: So, Athens. Cost index of 100, rent at $1,720/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $51,655, which is below the national median. You get the picture. Below the radar, but not for long.
147,748 residents · Georgia
Dive into Savannah's numbers: cost index 101 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — (10 points below national average), rent $1,736/month, income $56,782, and a home price of $322,470. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Housing runs 101. With 147,748 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (that's pre-tax, of course). The definition of value.
510,823 residents · Georgia
Dive into Atlanta's numbers: cost index 110 — we had to double-check this one — (1 points below national average), rent $1,888/month, income $81,938, and a home price of $381,549. That's more or less in line with the region. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 110. As a major city with 510,823 residents, amenities and job markets are robust (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#1 Ranked: Macon — cost index 70, rent $1,207/mo, income $50,747
5 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K
5 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K 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. On a $150K 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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
On a $150K salary, the key number is $3,750/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Macon ($1,207/mo, 10%), Augusta ($1,321/mo, 11%), Athens ($1,720/mo, 14%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $101,248 to $101,248/year across these top picks.
What does daily life actually cost in Macon? Start with the 29% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 70) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 94) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $50,747 and homes at $167,317 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
It checks most boxes — but the healthcare costs are the asterisk. In Macon, the healthcare index sits at 94 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
5 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 5 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. That's a red flag worth investigating further.
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. A real contender.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K 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.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Macon | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $101,248 |
2Augusta | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $101,248 |
3Athens | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $101,248 |
4Savannah | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $101,248 |
5Atlanta | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $101,248 |
We model what a $150K 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 $150K salary in Macon, rent would consume about 10% 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 $150K in Macon is approximately $101,248/year ($8,437/month). After median rent of $1,207/month, you'd have roughly $86,764/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.