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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 $50K salary, 1 cities (20%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 5 cities in Georgia using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Macon comes out…
#1 Ranked: Macon — cost index 70, rent $1,207/mo, income $50,747
1 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K
1 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K 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 $50K salary, 1 cities (20%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. 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 $50K salary, the key number is $1,250/month — we had to double-check this one — — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Macon ($1,207/mo, 29%), Augusta ($1,321/mo, 32%), Athens ($1,720/mo, 41%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $37,377 to $37,377/year across these top picks. Hard to argue with that.
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.
1 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K salary, 1 cities (20%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market.
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. 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. There's an argument to be made — and I think the data supports it — that the cities getting all the attention right now are exactly the wrong places to move. The spotlight drives migration, migration drives demand, demand drives costs, and eventually the value proposition disappears. Meanwhile, cities like this one keep quietly being affordable, and the people who find them early are the ones who benefit most.
156,512 residents · Georgia
The #1 spot goes to Macon, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,207/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — — 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.
200,884 residents · Georgia
A closer look at Augusta: the cost index of 77 — not a number you see very often, by the way — breaks down to a Housing index of 77 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). Fairly typical for a city this size. 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 Athens by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And from what we can tell, cost index: 100. Rent: $1,720/month. Income: $51,655/year. Home price: $332,919. Population: 128,628. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,100 per year vs. the national median. For dual-income households, this multiplies into serious savings.
147,748 residents · Georgia
Here's Savannah by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 101. Rent: $1,736/month. Income: $56,782/year. Home price: $322,470. Population: 147,748. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Housing at 101. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,908 per year vs. the national median. That's a red flag worth investigating further (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
510,823 residents · Georgia
Here's Atlanta by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 110. Rent: $1,888/month. You get the picture. Income: $81,938/year. Home price: $381,549. Population: 510,823. The strongest category is Healthcare at 102; the most expensive is Housing at 110. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $84 per year vs. the national median. Year over year, that savings rate is portfolio-grade.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Macon | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $37,377 |
2Augusta | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $37,377 |
3Athens | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $37,377 |
4Savannah | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $37,377 |
5Atlanta | 5.49% | 7.38% | 0.83% | $37,377 |
Macon ranks #1 in Georgia for this analysis with a cost index of 70 and median income of $50,747.
Yes. On a $50K salary in Macon, rent would consume about 29% 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 $50K in Macon is approximately $37,377/year ($3,115/month). After median rent of $1,207/month, you'd have roughly $22,893/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.