Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell → Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell to Baltimore-Columbia-Towson is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 100.1 to 104.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $37/mo.

+$6,077
BLS median salary higher in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
300 to 425
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
13.8:1 to 14:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$8,040
DOL infant care higher / yr in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 100.1 → 104.5
Rent Delta: +$37/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $6K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 4% higher cost of living
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 100.1 to 104.5 (ratio 1.04), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,820 → $1,857); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson sits #287 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell is #277/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $6,077 higher ($72,107 → $78,184). Labor-market size: 2,837,930 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,317,590 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Georgia scores 68 (C, #10/51) vs Maryland at 46 (F, #45/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 100.1
RPP 104.5
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Rent (2BR)
$1,820/mo
$1,857/mo
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Wages
$72,107
$78,184
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Crime
300 per 100K
425 per 100K
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Schools
13.8:1
14:1
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Childcare
$6,591/yr
$14,631/yr
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Environment
2771 violations
556 violations
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Georgia
68 C #10/51
Income tax
88
Property tax
74
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
48
Destination state · Maryland
46 F #45/51
Income tax
75
Property tax
63
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
52

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell to see what you'd need to earn in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
-

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026