Savannah Athens-Clarke County

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Savannah to Athens-Clarke County is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 95.2 to 93.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $349/mo.

-$1,469
BLS median salary lower in Athens-Clarke County
300 to 300
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.4:1 to 14.4:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$0
DOL infant care higher / yr in Athens-Clarke County

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
Favorable
Cost Index: 95.2 → 93.3
Rent Delta: -$349/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $349/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 95.2 to 93.3 (ratio 0.98), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $349/mo ($4,188/yr) from $1,680 in Savannah to $1,331 in Athens-Clarke County.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 1 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Athens-Clarke County sits #210 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Savannah is #243/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,469 lower ($62,840 → $61,371). Labor-market size: 180,810 tracked jobs at origin vs 82,710 at destination.

Both metros sit in Georgia: state retirement score 68 (C, #10/51) - tax posture does not change with this move. Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Savannah
Athens-Clarke County
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 95.2
RPP 93.3
Athens-Clarke County
Rent (2BR)
$1,680/mo
$1,331/mo
Athens-Clarke County
Wages
$62,840
$61,371
Savannah
Crime
300 per 100K
300 per 100K
Tie
Schools
14.4:1
14.4:1
Tie
Childcare
$6,591/yr
$6,591/yr
Tie
Environment
2771 violations
2771 violations
Tie

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

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 Savannah to see what you'd need to earn in Athens-Clarke County to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Athens-Clarke County
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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