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Atlanta, GA vs. Chandler, AZ

Median rent is $1,617 a month in Atlanta, GA and $1,806 in Chandler, AZ. Household income is $81,938 against $103,691. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Atlanta, GA buys what $100,170 buys in Chandler, AZ
+$170 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,617 $1,806 +11.7%
Median household income Annual
$81,938 $103,691 +26.5%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$420,600 $469,800 +11.7%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
23.7% 20.9% -2.8 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
100.9 101.1 +0.2%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$64,700 $72,200 +11.6%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,048 $2,592 +26.6%
Population City proper
499,287 278,123 -44.3%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Atlanta
$100,000 $100,170 +0.2%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,617
Atlanta, GA · 11.7% below Chandler, AZ
Higher household income
$103,691
Chandler, AZ · 26.5% above Atlanta, GA
Same standard of living
$100,170
$100,000 in Atlanta, GA needs $100,170 in Chandler, AZ
Price level gap
0.2 points
100.9 in GA against 101.1 in AZ
Rent burden gap
2.8 points
Atlanta, GA versus Chandler, AZ, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
99.1%
Atlanta, GA · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Occupation wages in both metros

May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Metropolitan areas may differ from city boundaries.

Wage comparison for shared occupations
Occupation Atlanta, GA median Chandler, AZ median vs.
Retail Salespersons $32,850 $35,960 +9.5%
General and Operations Managers $111,410 $98,610 -11.5%
Fast Food and Counter Workers $27,780 $34,540 +24.3%
Customer Service Representatives $42,710 $46,410 +8.7%
Registered Nurses $100,490 $100,830 +0.3%
Waiters and Waitresses $18,460 $47,530 +157.5%
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,100 $59,770 +1.1%
Software Developers $132,960 $131,750 -0.9%

Metropolitan areas and cover every industry together, so the two columns may describe wider areas than the city limits used for rent and income.

Atlanta, GA vs Chandler, AZ: frequently asked questions

Is Chandler, AZ more expensive than Atlanta, GA?

Overall prices are almost identical: a regional price level of 101.1 in Chandler, AZ against 100.9 in Atlanta, GA.

How much do I need to earn in Chandler, AZ to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Atlanta, GA?

About $100,200. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (100.9 in Atlanta, GA, 101.1 in Chandler, AZ) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Atlanta, GA or Chandler, AZ?

The median gross rent is $1,617 a month in Atlanta, GA and $1,806 in Chandler, AZ, a difference of $189 a month or $2,268 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Atlanta, GA or Chandler, AZ?

The median household income is $81,938 in Atlanta, GA and $103,691 in Chandler, AZ. Rent takes 23.7% of the median income in Atlanta, GA and 20.9% in Chandler, AZ.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Chandler, AZ?

About $72,200 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,806 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $64,700 in Atlanta, GA.

More comparisons with Atlanta, GA

More comparisons with Chandler, AZ

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Atlanta, GA converted into Chandler, AZ at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Atlanta, GA · Chandler, AZ