Cost of Living in Athens-Clarke County unified government, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County unified government is a unified government (balance) in Clarke County, Georgia, with a population of 123,310. The total cost of housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, taxes, and other necessities for a single adult in Athens-Clarke County unified government is $33,598 a year — less than the annual cost of living for Georgia of $38,488 and less than the national figure of $38,433.

Using cost of living data from the nonprofift think tank Economic Policy Institute, 24/7 Wall St. estimated the cost of living in Athens-Clarke County unified government and over 29,000 other cities and towns in the US.

Housing Costs in Athens-Clarke County unified government, Georgia

Housing is one of the largest components of cost of living. In Athens-Clarke County unified government, the median home value is $164,100, less than the national median home value of $204,900. The median price of a home built in 1939 or earlier is $338,200, while the median value of a home built in 2014 or later is $186,100.

Renting is a sometimes lower cost alternative to homeownership. In Athens-Clarke County unified government, some 61.50% of occupied homes are rented, greater than the 36.2% national renter rate. The typical renter in Athens-Clarke County unified government spends $844 a month on housing, greater than the $1,023 national median monthly rent.

In addition to home value, one of the largest determinants of housing affordability is area income. While nationwide the price of a typical U.S. home is 3.4 times the $60,293 U.S. median household income, housing affordability ratios range from approximately 1.0 in the least expensive cities to more than 10.0 in the country's most expensive markets. In Athens-Clarke County unified government, the median household income is $36,637, 4.5 times the median home value.

Transportation Costs in Athens-Clarke County unified government, Georgia

Transportation can also be a significant component of cost of living. In Athens-Clarke County unified government, 83.20% of commuters drive to work, compared to 85.5% of commuters nationwide. An estimated 22.60% of workers commute to jobs outside of Athens-Clarke County unified government, a smaller share than the 43.7% share of commuters nationwide who live and work in different cities. The average commute in Athens-Clarke County unified government is 19.3 minutes long, compared to the 26.6-minute average commute nationwide. Taking into account the cost of gas, as well as public transit and car maintenance, the EPI estimates that a single person in Athens-Clarke County unified government spends $9,160 a year on transportation, less than the national average of $9,760.

Health Care Costs in Athens-Clarke County unified government, Georgia

Out-of-pocket health care costs and insurance premiums — assuming at least a basic level of health insurance coverage — are slightly lower than they are on average nationwide in Athens-Clarke County unified government and also well below what they are across Georgia as a whole.

For a single adult living in the area, average health care costs come out to $3,728 per year, compared to an average of $4,352 across Georgia and $4,266 nationwide.

Child care Costs in Athens-Clarke County unified government, Georgia

For families with children, child care adds thousands of dollars to overall annual spending. In Athens-Clarke County unified government, the average annual cost of child care for two children — one 4 year old and one 8 year old — is $10,300, about $400 less than the comparable average of $10,670 across all of Georgia. Meanwhile, across the U.S. as a whole, childcare expenses for two children averages $15,853 per year.

Food Costs in Athens-Clarke County unified government, Georgia

Food is another every day expense that has a significant impact on overall cost of living. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that the cost of food varies from city to city and town to town.

In Athens-Clarke County unified government, a single adult spends an average of $3,175 on food annually, and a family of four spends $9,168 on average. For context, average annual food expenditure across Georgia and the U.S., respectively, are $3,156 and $3,240 for a single adult, and $9,115 and $9,354 for a family of four. These estimates are calculated for a nutritionally adequate diet of food purchased at a grocery store for at-home preparation.

Taxes in Athens-Clarke County unified government, Georgia

Few expenses vary as much from city to city and town to town as taxes. Accounting for state and federal income taxes, as well as Social Security contributions and Medicare payroll taxes, the average adult working in Athens-Clarke County unified government, Georgia pays $5,899 annually — relatively little compared to the statewide average of $7,010.

It is important to note that these calculations do not include other common taxes such as property, sales, and excise taxes. Accounting for these taxes, while excluding taxes levied at the federal level, Athens-Clarke County unified government residents live in a state with a low average tax burden. Per capita state tax collections in Georgia total $2,244 per year, compared to the $3,151 average across all states.

Methodology

To estimate the cost of housing, food, transportation, health care, child care, taxes, and other necessities, 24/7 Wall St. assigned county-level Economic Policy Institute data to cities, towns, villages and Census-designated places based on boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau. For places that span multiple counties, data was aggregated based on the percentage of boundary overlap.

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