Decatur, GA Cost Of Living

Decatur cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Decatur	Georgia	National
Cost of living index	122	93	100
Index	Decatur	Georgia	National
Goods & Services index	102	96	100
Groceries index	105	99	100
Health care index	108	96	100
Housing index	174	86	100
Transportation index	101	96	100
Utilities index	85	97	100

The above illustration supplies generalized information for the Decatur, GA cost of living index. Compared to other cities in Georgia and cities across the country, the cost of living index in Decatur, GA is 122, which is 31% higher than the Georgia average and 22% higher than that for the entire country. The index is comprised of the following criteria: cost of retail goods and services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), cost of public/private transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). Everyday goods and services, along with housing account for 63 percent of the total cost of living index. Goods and services that are a necessity regardless of location provide an accurate general sense of the cost of living in one city versus another. As seen above, the cost of retail goods and services in Decatur, GA are 7% higher than the average for Georgia and 2% higher than the rest of the country.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Decatur is 31% higher than the Georgia average.
The cost of living in Decatur is 22% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Decatur is 74% higher than the national average.
Georgia general sales tax is 21% lower than the national average.
Georgia state income tax is 55% lower than the national average.

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Salary Calculator

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

Using the salary calculator lets you compare the salary you earn in Decatur, GA to what it is in other cities. It will let you know what your earnings would have to be in another city to have the same standard of living, as determined by the cost of living in each city. For example, if the cost of living in the area you want to move to is higher than the cost of living in Decatur, GA, you have to earn a higher income in order to still have the same standard of living. To operate the Decatur, GA salary calculator, put in the name of the other city, then move the slider to the point that represents the current income. The salary calculator will take care of the rest and tell you how much more or less you must earn in the new city. A Total breakdown of the cost of living is also provided.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$130,955	$10,913	$3,055	$3,929
Renters	$27,369	$2,281	$639	$821

How much of your monthly income goes to housing can tell you whether or not you can afford housing in Decatur, GA, as well as what the average cost of living is. Generally, a good rule to follow is that the debt-to-income (DTI) level you want to maintain is 28 percent or less of your income on your rent or mortgage payment and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. In Decatur, GA homeowners have a median income of $130,955. Using that number, you will come up with a maximum of $3,055 per month that can be spent on the cost of housing. For those who are renting instead of owning, the median income is $27,369, which means there is a maximum of $639 to be spent on the costs of renting a home or apartment.

Georgia Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Georgia	4%	8%

Georgia Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Georgia	1%	6%

When considering the overall cost of living expenses in Decatur, GA, it's important to take into account the sales tax for Georgia, as well as the rate for income tax in Georgia. Goods and services sold to consumers in any state have some form of sales tax. Each state has its own tax code, which means that sales tax rates vary from state to state, ranging from over 7% in some states to as low as 0% in others. The maximum surtax for Georgia is 8%, and the sales tax in the state of Georgia is 4%. Alternatively, the tax imposed on your income by the state government is known as income tax. The rate for this tax also varies from state to state, and your rate is affected by your tax bracket, which is determined by your level of income. Income tax rates might be as high as 9%, down to as low as 0%. The range for income tax rates in Georgia starts from 1% and goes up to 6%.

Goods & Services

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$19.63	$16.09	22.1%
Beauty Salon	$46.88	$37.33	25.6%
Toothpaste	$2.87	$2.45	17.4%
Shampoo	$0.94	$1.00	5.7%
Movie	$14.93	$10.28	45.3%
Bowling	$4.96	$4.93	0.6%

Groceries

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.88	$3.80	1.9%
Fried Chicken	$1.27	$1.40	9.3%
Milk	$1.98	$2.01	1.4%
Potatoes	$3.75	$3.01	24.4%
Pizza	$9.29	$9.89	6.0%
Beer	$9.07	$8.90	1.9%

Health Care

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$102.23	$102.16	0.1%
Doctor	$105.10	$108.36	3.0%
Dentist	$114.97	$92.53	24.3%
Ibuprofen	$9.38	$9.28	1.1%
Lipitor	$414.55	$425.82	2.6%

Housing

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$384,300.00	$184,700.00	108.1%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,050.93	$1,202.44	12.6%
Apartment Rent	$894.00	$949.00	5.8%

Transportation

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.32	$2.24	3.3%
Tire Balancing	$44.65	$46.29	3.5%

Utilities

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$126.90	$165.96	23.5%
Phone	$27.67	$28.68	3.5%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Lakeview Estates, GA	2,751	79	-21%
Forest Park, GA	19,156	84	-16%
Conley, GA	5,397	85	-15%
Lake City, GA	2,712	87	-13%
Lithonia, GA	2,093	87	-13%
Decatur, GA	21,210	122	22%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Clinton, UT	21,210	102	2%
Patterson, CA	21,205	113	13%
Oxford, AL	21,202	90	-10%
South Milwaukee, WI	21,197	94	-6%
Arnold, MO	21,196	94	-6%
Decatur, GA	21,210	122	22%

Source: The Decatur, GA cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

Decatur, GA Cost of Living