Atlanta, GA vs Erie, PA
Moving from Atlanta to Erie? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($382,938 → $224,109 median home) and taxes.
Atlanta vs Erie at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Atlanta, GA, you'd need about $91,501 in Erie, PA (−$8,499).
Livability — Atlanta, GA: 66 · Erie, PA: 71 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,677 sqft in Atlanta vs 3,903 sqft in Erie ($187 vs $128 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Atlanta, GA | Erie, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $22,080 | $13,656 | −$8,424 |
| Groceries | $4,926 | $4,915 | −$11 |
| Transportation | $3,515 | $3,440 | −$75 |
| Utilities | $1,656 | $2,316 | +$660 |
| Insurance | $2,100 | $1,200 | −$900 |
| Taxes | $10,533 | $8,027 | −$2,506 |
| Total | $44,810 | $33,554 | −$11,256 |
Side by side
| Metric | Atlanta, GA | Erie, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 100.5 | 91.9 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.04% | 5.47% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 6.9% | -2.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 38 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.72 | $5.23 |
| Median home price | $382,938 | $224,109 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.6× | 3.8× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | -2.1% | 5.9% |
| Price per square foot | $187 | $128 |
| Median rent | $1,840 | $1,138 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 8.9% | 10.6% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.38% | 6.34% |
| Capital gains tax | 5.39% | 3.07% |
| Property tax rate | 0.85% | 1.71% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $7,000 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,500 | $12,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 32 | 20 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,100 | $1,200 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $1,600 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $650 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.4 | 21.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 3.55 |
| Violent crime /100k | 370 | 390 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 34 | 22 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 3 |
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