Burlington, NC vs Athens, GA: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Athens, GA and Burlington, NC are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Burlington works out to about $75,100 in Athens, before taxes.
- Housing is 1.4% lower in Athens, goods 0.4% lower and other services 0.5% higher, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,776 a month in Athens and $1,339 in Burlington, $5,244 a year more in Athens (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $367,000 in Athens and $291,000 in Burlington.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (0.2%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in Burlington and Athens
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Burlington, NC
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Burlington, NC | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.2 | 93.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 |
| Housing (rents) | 77.9 | 76.8 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.7 |
| Category | Burlington | Athens | Athens vs Burlington |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.2 | 93.3 | +0.2% |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 | −0.4% |
| Housing (rents) | 77.9 | 76.8 | −1.4% |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 89.3 | 0.0% |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.7 | +0.5% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,339 | $1,776 | +32.6% |
| Typical home value | $291,000 | $367,000 | +26.3% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Burlington | $75,000 | $75,100 | +0.2% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Burlington and Athens has narrowed since 2008: 1.7 points then, 0.1 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Burlington, NC
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Burlington, NC | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 92.5 | 94.2 |
| 2009 | 91.9 | 94.3 |
| 2010 | 92.5 | 94.7 |
| 2011 | 93.5 | 94.4 |
| 2012 | 93.3 | 93.3 |
| 2013 | 93.8 | 93.4 |
| 2014 | 92.7 | 93.5 |
| 2015 | 93.2 | 92.9 |
| 2016 | 92.2 | 93.7 |
| 2017 | 92.2 | 93.8 |
| 2018 | 91.4 | 90.5 |
| 2019 | 90.4 | 90.6 |
| 2020 | 89.7 | 90.2 |
| 2021 | 89.4 | 94.4 |
| 2022 | 92.0 | 93.4 |
| 2023 | 93.0 | 93.5 |
| 2024 | 93.2 | 93.3 |
Goods
- Burlington, NC
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Burlington, NC | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.4 | 97.2 |
| 2009 | 95.4 | 95.1 |
| 2010 | 97.0 | 96.7 |
| 2011 | 97.0 | 96.4 |
| 2012 | 97.2 | 96.2 |
| 2013 | 97.1 | 96.5 |
| 2014 | 97.4 | 96.7 |
| 2015 | 96.5 | 95.8 |
| 2016 | 97.2 | 96.5 |
| 2017 | 97.1 | 96.3 |
| 2018 | 95.7 | 95.6 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 95.4 |
| 2020 | 95.4 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 96.2 | 95.8 |
| 2022 | 95.6 | 95.0 |
| 2023 | 96.8 | 96.3 |
| 2024 | 96.6 | 96.3 |
Housing (rents)
- Burlington, NC
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Burlington, NC | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 70.3 | 81.0 |
| 2009 | 72.3 | 86.8 |
| 2010 | 69.3 | 80.8 |
| 2011 | 70.8 | 76.4 |
| 2012 | 68.6 | 73.5 |
| 2013 | 76.9 | 73.6 |
| 2014 | 70.0 | 73.4 |
| 2015 | 70.8 | 70.8 |
| 2016 | 63.6 | 71.9 |
| 2017 | 67.4 | 76.0 |
| 2018 | 68.4 | 67.0 |
| 2019 | 69.8 | 69.7 |
| 2020 | 70.4 | 69.1 |
| 2021 | 62.5 | 79.5 |
| 2022 | 70.7 | 75.8 |
| 2023 | 75.0 | 77.9 |
| 2024 | 77.9 | 76.8 |
Utilities
- Burlington, NC
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Burlington, NC | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 88.9 | 90.0 |
| 2009 | 89.9 | 88.6 |
| 2010 | 91.0 | 90.6 |
| 2011 | 90.3 | 94.2 |
| 2012 | 92.4 | 93.8 |
| 2013 | 91.7 | 93.9 |
| 2014 | 91.6 | 94.8 |
| 2015 | 91.1 | 93.6 |
| 2016 | 88.6 | 91.4 |
| 2017 | 85.5 | 89.9 |
| 2018 | 88.2 | 89.6 |
| 2019 | 90.8 | 91.8 |
| 2020 | 88.8 | 92.5 |
| 2021 | 86.2 | 90.7 |
| 2022 | 83.9 | 91.5 |
| 2023 | 84.9 | 87.4 |
| 2024 | 89.2 | 89.3 |
Other services
- Burlington, NC
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Burlington, NC | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.8 | 98.1 |
| 2009 | 98.2 | 97.6 |
| 2010 | 99.7 | 99.7 |
| 2011 | 101.2 | 100.8 |
| 2012 | 100.8 | 100.8 |
| 2013 | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| 2014 | 100.6 | 100.1 |
| 2015 | 101.1 | 100.7 |
| 2016 | 102.3 | 101.9 |
| 2017 | 100.5 | 100.1 |
| 2018 | 98.3 | 97.5 |
| 2019 | 95.8 | 95.6 |
| 2020 | 95.5 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 99.6 | 99.4 |
| 2022 | 99.7 | 99.5 |
| 2023 | 98.7 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 98.2 | 98.7 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,776 in Athens vs $1,339 in Burlington
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Burlington, NC
- Athens, GA
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Burlington, NC | Athens, GA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | $839 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | $865 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | $852 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $670 | $867 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $691 | $869 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $693 | $905 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $697 | $909 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $697 | $927 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $719 | $935 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $728 | $939 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $731 | $966 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $747 | $981 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $758 | $1,021 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $788 | $1,042 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $797 | $1,047 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $778 | $1,076 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $818 | $1,076 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $838 | $1,107 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $863 | $1,129 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $831 | $1,168 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $859 | $1,167 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $893 | $1,178 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $895 | $1,211 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $919 | $1,246 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $958 | $1,275 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $989 | $1,303 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,025 | $1,371 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,047 | $1,400 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,118 | $1,432 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,141 | $1,499 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,175 | $1,541 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,183 | $1,535 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,191 | $1,608 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,203 | $1,617 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,228 | $1,644 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,211 | $1,660 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,259 | $1,671 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,270 | $1,702 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,293 | $1,705 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,292 | $1,712 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,308 | $1,716 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,307 | $1,718 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,302 | $1,735 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,325 | $1,747 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,330 | $1,768 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,324 | $1,754 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,339 | $1,776 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $367,000 in Athens vs $291,000 in Burlington
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Burlington, NC
- Athens, GA
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Burlington, NC | Athens, GA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | $157K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | – | $159K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | – | $160K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | – | $163K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $145K | $165K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $145K | $167K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $146K | $169K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $149K | $170K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $151K | $173K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $153K | $177K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $155K | $181K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $157K | $185K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $160K | $188K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $162K | $192K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $165K | $197K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $167K | $202K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $170K | $207K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $172K | $211K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $172K | $214K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $174K | $219K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $177K | $225K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $181K | $229K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $186K | $236K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $194K | $248K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $201K | $260K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $211K | $272K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $221K | $283K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $226K | $294K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $242K | $311K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $260K | $323K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $266K | $324K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $267K | $323K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $269K | $325K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $273K | $332K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $278K | $339K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $282K | $344K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $284K | $349K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $289K | $355K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $288K | $355K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $289K | $358K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $290K | $360K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $288K | $359K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $288K | $361K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $290K | $364K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $294K | $367K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $293K | $367K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $291K | $367K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.