Relocation report 2026

Moving from Connecticut to Georgia

Moving to Georgia on the same salary raises your real buying power by 9.3%. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.

About 960 miles by road
Equal salary in GA
$85,600
matches $95,000 in CT
Take-home change per year
+$1,158
same $95,000 salary, after 2026 taxes
Moving cost (2–3 BR)
$710–$9,750
truck to full-service
Households made this move
1,341
IRS, 2022–2023
Your income

Equal salary in GA: $85,600

To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $85,600 in Georgia to match $95,000 in Connecticut ($9,400 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.

Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.

Take-home in CT
$70,513
25.8% total tax
Take-home in GA
$71,671
24.6% total tax
Take-home change per year
+$1,158
same salary, after moving
Purchasing power
+9.3%
prices lower by 7.0%
Renting: yearly change after selected costs
+$2,267
take-home change − rent change ($1,550 → $1,506/mo) − power bill change
Buying the median home (20% down): yearly change after selected costs
+$9,227
take-home change − change in monthly cost to own the median home ($2,789 → $2,165/mo: 30-year mortgage at the current 6.95% average rate, property tax, insurance) − power bill change

These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.

2026 taxes on a $95,000 salary in Connecticut and Georgia
Tax on $95,000ConnecticutGeorgia
Federal income tax$12,070$12,070
Social Security + Medicare$7,268$7,268
State income tax$4,675$3,992
State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit)$475$0
Take-home pay$70,513$71,671

Key facts: Connecticut to Georgia

Median rent
$1,550 → $1,506/mo
Median home value
$396,900 → $343,300
Price level (U.S. = 100)
103.6 → 96.3
Road distance
≈ 960 miles
Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
Among the highest → Above average

What changes when you move to Georgia

Yearly rent at the state median
Connecticut$18,600
Georgia$18,072

Who moves from Connecticut to Georgia

In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 1,341 households (2,324 people) filed their taxes in Georgia after filing in Connecticut the year before. That makes Georgia the #12 destination for people leaving Connecticut. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $81,200. Going the other way, 858 households moved from Georgia to Connecticut, a net gain of 483 households for Georgia.

Five-year trend

Moves from Connecticut to Georgia peaked in 2021–22 at 1,524 households, then fell 12% by 2022–23. That is still up 11% from 2018–19.

Households moving CT → GA, by IRS tax year
2018–191,211
2019–201,336
2020–211,423
2021–221,524
2022–231,341

Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.

Cost to move from Connecticut to Georgia

Moving cost: $710–$9,750

Moving about 960 miles from Connecticut to Georgia costs roughly $710 – $9,750, depending on how much of the work you hire out.

Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).

Moving methodTypical range
Rental truck (DIY)
Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time.
$710 – $2,890
Moving container
You pack and load; the company drives the container.
$1,540 – $3,710
Full-service movers
Packing, loading, transport and unloading.
$2,500 – $9,750

These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.

A rental truck also burns about 96 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.

Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.

Shipping a car from Connecticut to Georgia

Car shipping: $860–$1,280

Shipping a sedan from Connecticut to Georgia on an open carrier costs about $860–$1,280, typically 3–7 days in transit over about 960 miles.

Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.

Connecticut vs Georgia take-home pay at every salary

Salary needed in Georgia to match each Connecticut salary, and take-home pay in both states (single filer, 2026 taxes)
SalaryEqual salary in GATake-home changeTake-home in CTTake-home in GA
$50,000$45,600+$504$40,105$40,609
$75,000$67,500+$856$57,743$58,599
$100,000$90,200+$1,234$73,705$74,939
$150,000$134,800+$2,239$104,816$107,055
$250,000$223,000+$4,596$166,860$171,456

Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.

Cost of living: Connecticut vs Georgia

Prices, rent, home values and taxes in Connecticut and Georgia
MeasureConnecticutGeorgia
Overall price level (U.S. = 100)103.696.3
Housing price index117.088.7
Utilities price index146.592.8
Goods price index97.398.9
Median rent (monthly)$1,550$1,506
Median home value$396,900$343,300
Median property tax (yearly)$6,573$2,554
Electricity (residential)24.32¢/kWh16.36¢/kWh
State sales tax rate6.35%4%
Median household income$96,049$79,991

Renting and buying: Connecticut vs Georgia

Cost to rent or buy the median home in Connecticut and Georgia
MeasureConnecticutGeorgia
Income to rent the median home (30% rule)$62,000$60,240
Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down)$2,789$2,165
Income needed to buy the median home$119,521$92,777
Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage)$1,671$1,608
Infant child care (center, yearly)$18,492$11,066

Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Georgia for other down payments.

Your yearly budget: Connecticut vs Georgia

On a $95,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $59,476 a year in Connecticut and $54,121 in Georgia if you rent: $5,355 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $74,342 and $62,027 ($12,315 less).

Your yearly budget, before vs after
Yearly costs on a $95,000 salary in Connecticut and Georgia; change is Georgia minus Connecticut
Yearly costCTGAChange
Income and payroll taxes
on $95,000, single filer
$24,488$23,330-$1,158
Electricity
state average bill
$2,396$1,815-$581
Car insurance
one car, state average
$1,394$1,555+$161
Gas
12,000 miles at 25 mpg
$2,158$1,969-$189
Health insurance
one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies
$10,440$7,380-$3,060
If you rent
Rent
median, 12 months
$18,600$18,072-$528
Total if you rent$59,476$54,121-$5,355
If you buy the median home (20% down)
Mortgage payment
median home, 20% down, 6.95%
$25,222$21,816-$3,406
Property tax
median home
$6,573$2,554-$4,019
Homeowners insurance
state median, with a mortgage
$1,671$1,608-$63
Total if you buy$74,342$62,027-$12,315

Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).

State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.

Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.

Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $18,492 a year in Connecticut and $11,066 in Georgia (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).

Cost of living in Georgia cities: Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah, Columbus, GA.

After you arrive in Georgia

Frequently asked questions

How much salary do I need in Georgia to live like I do in Connecticut?

A $95,000 salary in Connecticut works out to about $85,600 in Georgia once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $90,200.

Will I pay less tax in Georgia than in Connecticut?

Yes, about $1,158 less a year in income and payroll taxes on a $95,000 salary (25.8% of pay in Connecticut vs 24.6% in Georgia). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.

How much does it cost to move from Connecticut to Georgia?

For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 960 miles, expect roughly $710–$2,890 with a rental truck, $1,540–$3,710 with a moving container, or $2,500–$9,750 with full-service movers.

Are more people moving from Connecticut to Georgia?

Moves from Connecticut to Georgia peaked in 2021–22 at 1,524 households, then fell 12% by 2022–23. That is still up 11% from 2018–19.

How many people move from Connecticut to Georgia?

IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 1,341 households (2,324 people) moved from Connecticut to Georgia, making Georgia the #12 destination for people leaving Connecticut. 858 households moved the other way.

Is Georgia cheaper than Connecticut?

Overall prices in Georgia are 7.0% lower than Connecticut (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,506 vs $1,550 a month.

Compare other moves

Where people from Connecticut actually move

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