Moving from New York to Atlanta, GA
By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 4, 2026.
New York vs Atlanta: the numbers
| Measure | New York | Atlanta |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home for sale | $742,000 | $415,000 |
| Monthly mortgage on it | $4,078 | $2,281 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,997 | $1,781 |
| Everyday prices | 13% above avg | US average |
| Housing costs | 49% above avg | 11% above avg |
| Income tax on wages, 2026 | Up to 10.9%, plus New York City up to 3.876% | 4.99% flat |
What else changes when you move to Atlanta
January lows average 35.6°F and July highs 90.1°F, with 2.2 inches of snow and 50.43 inches of total precipitation in a typical yearsource.
ATL has nonstop flights to JFK, LGA, EWRsource.
Between July 2024 and July 2025, 3,019 more people moved to the Atlanta metro from elsewhere in the US than moved awaysource.
The New York metro lost 168,105 more residents to the rest of the country than it gained over the same year (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025).
Taxes: Georgia taxes wages at a flat 4.99%; New York tops out at 10.9%, plus New York City up to 3.876% (2026, married filing jointly). Property and sales taxes differ too; each state page has them where we track them.
Your New York, in Atlanta
Big city park
Central Park Piedmont Park
Walking and biking trail
The High Line Atlanta Beltline
Art museum
The Met High Museum of Art
Natural history museum
American Museum of Natural History Fernbank Museum of Natural History
After you move: Georgia deadlines
- Driver's license: within 30 days of becoming a residentsource.
- Vehicle registration: within 30 dayssource.
The full order of tasks is in our moving out of state checklist, and what the move itself costs is in how much it costs to move out of state (HireAHelper, 2026).

Planning the move? Get the free moving guide
12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and the deadlines after you land.
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to live in Atlanta than New York?
Yes. Everyday prices, rent included, run 11% lower in Atlanta, GA than in the New York metro by BEA's regional price parities (100.1 against 112.6, US = 100, 2024).
What salary in Atlanta matches $150,000 in New York?
About $133,336, using BEA regional price parities for Atlanta, GA (100.1) and the New York metro (112.6), 2024. Taxes are not included; see the tax comparison on this page.
How much would I save on housing moving from New York to Atlanta?
On the median listed home, principal and interest drop from $4,078 to $2,281 a month ($1,797 less), with 20% down at 7.32% (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026; Freddie Mac). Median rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,781 against $1,997 (Census ACS 2025).
Does Georgia have a state income tax?
Yes, a flat 4.99% on wages in 2026 (Paylocity, Georgia Reduces Individual Income Tax Rates For 2026). In New York the top state rate is 10.9%, plus New York City up to 3.876%.
How much does it cost to move from New York to Atlanta?
Nobody publishes an average for this route. HireAHelper's 2026 long-distance estimates for a 2 to 3 bedroom home run from $533 to $728 for a rental truck you load yourself to $2,910 to $4,569 for full-service movers, before distance pushes the price up. Get three written estimates for the same inventory; federal rules cap what an interstate mover can demand at delivery at 110% of a non-binding estimate (FMCSA).
More moves from New York
- New York to Florida
- New York to Texas
- New York to North Carolina
- New York to South Carolina
- New York to Philadelphia, PA
- New York to Austin, TX
- New York to Raleigh, NC
- New York to Tampa, FL
- New York to Charlotte, NC
- New York to Nashville, TN
- New York to Chattanooga, TN
- Every place cheaper than New York
- Cost of living in Atlanta, GA
Notes on the numbers
- 1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. New York values are for the whole metro area; Atlanta values are for its metro area.
- 2Monthly mortgage: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
- 3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Census table
- 4Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, compared with the US average.
- 5Income tax: state revenue departments, 2026 rates for married couples filing jointly. Details on our state income tax comparison.
- 6Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Hours back assume a 5-day round trip. Census table
Sources for this page
- Median listed home: Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026
- Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026
- 2-bedroom rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities)
- Price levels: BEA regional price parities, 2024, via FRED
- New York income tax: Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (Feb 17, 2026); NY DTF Form IT-201 for the dependent exemption, 2026
- Georgia income tax: Paylocity, Georgia Reduces Individual Income Tax Rates For 2026, 2026
- New York City income tax: NYC Administrative Code 11-1701 (American Legal Publishing); additional tax section at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-13565
- Net domestic migration: US Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Moving cost estimates: HireAHelper, Moving Costs (2026)
- © Realtor.com, Housing Inventory Core Metrics (median listing price and median listing price per square foot), retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis