Is $54,000 a good salary in Georgia?

$54,000 in Georgia provides a monthly take-home of approximately $3,544 after taxes. Across major Georgia cities, this salary is rated comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $1,343.

What is the cost of living on $54,000 in Georgia?

The average monthly living cost across major Georgia cities is approximately $2,201 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $54,000 take-home pay of $3,544/month, you would have roughly $1,343/month remaining.

Living in Georgia · 2026

Is $54,000 enough to live in Georgia?

Single adult · GA · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Comfortable

Monthly take-home

$3,544

Avg monthly expenses

$2,201

Avg monthly surplus

$1,343

Savings potential

~38%

After-tax take-home in Georgia

Gross salary$54,000

Federal income tax− $4,374

State income tax− $2,965

Social Security− $3,348

Medicare− $783

Annual take-home$42,530

Effective tax rate21.24%

How $54,000 feels in Georgia cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Atlanta

COL index: 1.29× national avg

Comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,850

Food

$493

Transport

$226

Utilities

$213

Healthcare

$258

Total: $3,040/mo

Surplus: $504/mo

Rent burden: 52.2% — Unaffordable (> 50%)

Full Atlanta analysis →

Savannah

COL index: 1.05× national avg

Comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,350

Food

$440

Transport

$184

Utilities

$173

Healthcare

$210

Total: $2,357/mo

Surplus: $1,187/mo

Rent burden: 38.1% — High (35–50%)

Full Savannah analysis →

Augusta

COL index: 0.91× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,050

Food

$396

Transport

$159

Utilities

$150

Healthcare

$182

Total: $1,937/mo

Surplus: $1,607/mo

Rent burden: 29.6% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Augusta analysis →

Columbus

COL index: 0.91× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,100

Food

$418

Transport

$159

Utilities

$150

Healthcare

$182

Total: $2,009/mo

Surplus: $1,535/mo

Rent burden: 31.0% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Columbus analysis →

Macon

COL index: 0.85× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$950

Food

$374

Transport

$149

Utilities

$140

Healthcare

$170

Total: $1,783/mo

Surplus: $1,761/mo

Rent burden: 26.8% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Macon analysis →

Athens

COL index: 0.95× national avg

Comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,150

Food

$418

Transport

$166

Utilities

$157

Healthcare

$190

Total: $2,081/mo

Surplus: $1,463/mo

Rent burden: 32.4% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Athens analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $3,544 ($42,528/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$1,772

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,063

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$709

per month

›Emergency fund
›401(k) / IRA
›Investments
›Down payment fund
›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$21,264

Wants / year

$12,758

Savings / year

$8,506

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Atlanta

Rent alone would take 52% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city — a $74,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.

Lifestyle score: 3.4/10 (Challenging)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $54,000 salary supports a challenging single lifestyle in Atlanta, Georgia. After essential expenses, approximately $504/month (~14% of take-home) is available for savings or discretionary spending.

Purchasing Power

Atlanta's above-average cost of living (index: 1.29) means $54,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $41,860 in an average-cost US city, or $49,395 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$54,000 is 29% above the Georgia individual median ($41,800) and 4% below the US national median of $56,000.

State individual median

$41,800

+29%

State household median

$71,355

-24%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$54,000 vs. Georgia income benchmarks

Individual median (Georgia)

$41,800

+29% vs. this salary

Household median (Georgia)

$71,355

-24% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Georgia

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.