USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Atlanta, GA vs. Scottsdale, AZ

Median rent is $1,617 a month in Atlanta, GA and $1,910 in Scottsdale, AZ. Household income is $81,938 against $107,372. 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 Scottsdale, AZ
+$170 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,617 $1,910 +18.1%
Median household income Annual
$81,938 $107,372 +31.0%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$420,600 $709,900 +68.8%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
23.7% 21.3% -2.4 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 $76,400 +18.1%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,048 $2,684 +31.1%
Population City proper
499,287 242,169 -51.5%
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 · 18.1% below Scottsdale, AZ
Higher household income
$107,372
Scottsdale, AZ · 31.0% above Atlanta, GA
Same standard of living
$100,170
$100,000 in Atlanta, GA needs $100,170 in Scottsdale, AZ
Price level gap
0.2 points
100.9 in GA against 101.1 in AZ
Rent burden gap
2.3 points
Atlanta, GA versus Scottsdale, 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

Atlanta, GA vs Scottsdale, AZ: frequently asked questions

Is Scottsdale, AZ more expensive than Atlanta, GA?

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

How much do I need to earn in Scottsdale, 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 Scottsdale, AZ) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

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

The median gross rent is $1,617 a month in Atlanta, GA and $1,910 in Scottsdale, AZ, a difference of $293 a month or $3,516 a year.

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

The median household income is $81,938 in Atlanta, GA and $107,372 in Scottsdale, AZ. Rent takes 23.7% of the median income in Atlanta, GA and 21.3% in Scottsdale, AZ.

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

About $76,400 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,910 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $64,700 in Atlanta, GA.

More comparisons with Atlanta, GA

More comparisons with Scottsdale, 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 Scottsdale, 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 · Scottsdale, AZ