State profile
Georgia Cost of Living Comparison
Georgia's 2024 price level is 96.293, 3.71% below the national level, and it sits in the middle of the national table on almost every measure, rank 25 of 51 overall.
Updated
96.293Georgia all-items price level, U.S. = 100 · rank 25 of 51, lowest first
| Measure | Georgia | Michigan | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 96.293 | 96.217 | +0.076 points |
| Rent price level | 88.694 | 82.332 | +6.362 points |
| Home value | $303,300±$1,171 | $231,600±$642 | +$71,700 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,326±$11 | $1,162±$6 | +$164 |
| Household income | $77,353±$407 | $72,875±$293 | +$4,478 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $2,341±$12 | $2,904±$9 | −$563 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in Georgia scales to $3,997 in Michigan at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
Georgia: a middle-ranked state between cheaper and dearer neighbours
Georgia's price structure is unusual for the South. Goods, at 98.929, rank 38th of 51, higher than in any of its five neighbours, Florida included, while rents (88.694) and other services (97.343, rank 15) are where the savings are. A household that spends heavily on goods will find Georgia closer to the national level than its headline number suggests.
Renters feel more strain than the rent level implies. The two-bedroom gross-rent median of $1,326 ranks 24th, yet renters spend 31.3% of income on gross rent, eighth-highest in the country. Price-adjusted income tells a harsher story than the household median: Georgia drops from 27th to 42nd.
Ownership is moderate: a median home value of $303,300 (rank 26), owners with a mortgage paying a median $1,783 a month, and a median real estate tax of $2,341 a year.
Individual income tax supplied 47.3% of Georgia's fiscal 2025 state collections, nearly half, and general sales 27.2%. Total collections were $3,040 per resident, rank 45. The income tax is a flat 4.99% for 2026, and the 4% statewide sales tax is usually joined by county taxes, often 1% each, so the state share understates the rate at the register.
The price level has crept up from 94.478 in 2020 to 96.293 in 2024. Among five neighbours, Florida is the only one with a higher price level (103.414); Alabama (88.823), Tennessee (91.870), South Carolina (93.749) and North Carolina (94.326) are all cheaper, and their two-bedroom medians run from $960 to $1,164. Michigan (96.217) is Georgia's closest match nationally.
Category price levels in Georgia
| Category | Parity | Rank, low first | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 96.293 | 25 | 3.71% below |
| Goods | 98.929 | 38 | 1.07% below |
| Housing (rents) | 88.694 | 27 | 11.31% below |
| Utilities | 92.814 | 32 | 7.19% below |
| Other services | 97.343 | 15 | 2.66% below |
| Real income per person, 2017 $ | $52,952 | 42 | U.S. $59,195 |
All items by year: 2020 94.478 · 2021 95.713 · 2022 95.678 · 2023 96.494 · 2024 96.293 (+1.815 since 2020). How to read categories and trends
Monthly housing costs
- Owners with a mortgage
- $1,783±$8 · rank 26, high first
- Owners without a mortgage
- $541±$3 · rank 37
- Renters: gross rent / income
- 31.3%±0.3 · rank 8
Georgia state tax collections, FY2025
$34.36 billion in total, $3,040 per resident. Scope of these figures
| Tax | FY2025 | Share | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | $16.24 billion | 47.3% | $1,436 |
| General sales | $9.33 billion | 27.2% | $826 |
| Property | $882.2 million | 2.6% | $78 |
| Motor fuel | $2.23 billion | 6.5% | $197 |
| Other selective sales | $1.57 billion | 4.6% | $139 |
| Corporate income | $3.26 billion | 9.5% | $288 |
| Licenses | $638.7 million | 1.9% | $57 |
| Severance | not levied | ||
| Other taxes | $210.8 million | 0.6% | $19 |
Georgia income tax on wages
For 2026, the Georgia Department of Revenue lists a flat individual income tax rate of 4.99%, with a standard deduction of $15,000 for single filers, heads of household and married people filing separately, or $30,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Read : Georgia Department of Revenue: important tax updates. Price parities exclude income taxes.
Georgia sales tax
Georgia's statewide sales tax rate is 4%, and counties add local sales taxes, usually in 1% increments; the Department of Revenue's examples include 8% in Muscogee County (4% state plus four 1% local taxes) and 9% in Ware County.
Read : Georgia Department of Revenue: sales and use tax rates.
Georgia beside its neighbours
| Jurisdiction | All items | Rents | Goods | 2BR rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 96.293 | 88.694 | 98.929 | $1,326 |
| Alabama | 88.823 | 61.785 | 96.399 | $960 |
| Florida | 103.414 | 122.107 | 98.059 | $1,664 |
| North Carolina | 94.326 | 81.364 | 96.621 | $1,164 |
| South Carolina | 93.749 | 80.490 | 96.339 | $1,148 |
| Tennessee | 91.870 | 79.070 | 96.247 | $1,143 |
Before you budget a move
A Georgia household comparison must distinguish income ownership and approved taxes from gross compensation. The current state tax rate alone is insufficient to calculate take-home pay. Use a prepared annual liability that includes the household’s actual filing status, deductions and credits instead of multiplying all cash receipts by a headline rate.
For an Atlanta-area role and another Georgia destination, price the commute and lease on their own terms. Include parking, tenant utilities and employer benefits consistently. Compare a wage offer with the household’s offered compensation, not with a median that may include multiple earners and different income sources.
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