Residential comparison · 13 facts
Atlanta, GA vs Decatur, GA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Atlanta needs about $79,000 in Decatur to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Decatur, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $91,000 in Atlanta.
A few differences
- Decatur is lower on property tax rate (0.9% vs 1%).
- Decatur is lower on sales tax (7.4% vs 8.9%).
- Decatur is lower on groceries index (98 vs 100).
Atlanta vs Decatur · facet by facet
| Facet | Atlanta, GA | Decatur, GA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $400,000 | $701,400 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,000/mo | $1,871/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1% | 0.9% |
| State & local income tax | 3.94% | 3.94% |
| Sales tax | 8.9% | 7.4% |
| Cost of living index | 103 | 122 |
| Groceries index | 100 | 98 |
| Utilities | $180/mo | $175/mo |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $139,397 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Crime index | 54/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 217 days | 218 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Atlanta, GA · Decatur, GA
Questions & answers
- Is Atlanta cheaper than Decatur?
- Atlanta has the lower day-to-day cost index (103 vs 122 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Decatur equals $85,000 in Atlanta?
- A household earning $85,000 in Atlanta needs about $79,000 in Decatur to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Decatur lifestyle costs about $91,000 in Atlanta.