Is Augusta cheaper than Knoxville?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Augusta and Knoxville metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Augusta or Knoxville?

Knoxville has the higher median household income — $74,184 versus $72,176 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 3% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Augusta or Knoxville?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($78,535 versus $80,139).

Which has cheaper rent, Augusta or Knoxville?

Rents are close — $1,243/mo in the Augusta metro versus $1,219/mo in Knoxville (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Augusta vs Knoxville

Metro-area medians — Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area vs Knoxville, TN Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Knoxville comes out ahead, winning 3 of the 4 clearly-decided measures.

Augusta and Knoxville are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Augusta, GA

$58,044

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$63,158

real value after local prices

Knoxville, TN

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$66,235

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Knoxville leaves you about $3,078/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Augusta

Knoxville

Livability (CityLedger)

40/100

55/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

91.9

92.6

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$78,535

$80,139

Median household income

$72,176

$74,184

Median rent

$1,243/mo

$1,219/mo

Median home value

$262,100

$351,400

Unemployment

3.1%

Bachelor's degree or higher

29.8%

34.2%

Average commute

25.2 min

24.7 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

67°F

59°F

Choose Augusta for

+ Median home value

Full Augusta profile →

Choose Knoxville for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Knoxville profile →

Augusta vs Knoxville — frequently asked

Is Augusta cheaper than Knoxville?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Augusta and Knoxville metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Augusta or Knoxville?: Knoxville has the higher median household income — $74,184 versus $72,176 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 3% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Augusta or Knoxville?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($78,535 versus $80,139).
Which has cheaper rent, Augusta or Knoxville?: Rents are close — $1,243/mo in the Augusta metro versus $1,219/mo in Knoxville (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).