Hagerstown, MD 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 Hagerstown, MD are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Hagerstown works out to about $74,300 in Athens, before taxes.
- Housing is 1.3% higher in Athens, goods 0.1% lower and other services 0.8% lower, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,776 a month in Athens and $1,614 in Hagerstown, $1,944 a year more in Athens (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $367,000 in Athens and $323,000 in Hagerstown.
- The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Athens was 2.8% less expensive than Hagerstown.
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 Hagerstown and Athens
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Hagerstown, MD
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Hagerstown, MD | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 94.2 | 93.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Housing (rents) | 75.7 | 76.8 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.7 |
| Category | Hagerstown | Athens | Athens vs Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 94.2 | 93.3 | −0.9% |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 | −0.1% |
| Housing (rents) | 75.7 | 76.8 | +1.3% |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 89.3 | −6.7% |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.7 | −0.8% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,614 | $1,776 | +10.0% |
| Typical home value | $323,000 | $367,000 | +13.9% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Hagerstown | $75,000 | $74,300 | −0.9% |
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 Hagerstown and Athens has narrowed since 2008: 6.0 points then, 0.8 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Hagerstown, MD
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Hagerstown, MD | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 100.2 | 94.2 |
| 2009 | 100.8 | 94.3 |
| 2010 | 97.1 | 94.7 |
| 2011 | 100.1 | 94.4 |
| 2012 | 99.3 | 93.3 |
| 2013 | 100.1 | 93.4 |
| 2014 | 99.4 | 93.5 |
| 2015 | 100.7 | 92.9 |
| 2016 | 99.6 | 93.7 |
| 2017 | 98.6 | 93.8 |
| 2018 | 94.0 | 90.5 |
| 2019 | 93.3 | 90.6 |
| 2020 | 93.1 | 90.2 |
| 2021 | 95.3 | 94.4 |
| 2022 | 93.5 | 93.4 |
| 2023 | 95.4 | 93.5 |
| 2024 | 94.2 | 93.3 |
Goods
- Hagerstown, MD
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Hagerstown, MD | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 109.8 | 97.2 |
| 2009 | 110.4 | 95.1 |
| 2010 | 106.7 | 96.7 |
| 2011 | 104.8 | 96.4 |
| 2012 | 102.9 | 96.2 |
| 2013 | 106.2 | 96.5 |
| 2014 | 102.4 | 96.7 |
| 2015 | 102.8 | 95.8 |
| 2016 | 102.7 | 96.5 |
| 2017 | 101.6 | 96.3 |
| 2018 | 95.5 | 95.6 |
| 2019 | 95.4 | 95.4 |
| 2020 | 95.2 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 96.2 | 95.8 |
| 2022 | 94.8 | 95.0 |
| 2023 | 96.1 | 96.3 |
| 2024 | 96.4 | 96.3 |
Housing (rents)
- Hagerstown, MD
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Hagerstown, MD | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 76.6 | 81.0 |
| 2009 | 79.6 | 86.8 |
| 2010 | 67.6 | 80.8 |
| 2011 | 82.2 | 76.4 |
| 2012 | 82.8 | 73.5 |
| 2013 | 80.6 | 73.6 |
| 2014 | 76.9 | 73.4 |
| 2015 | 82.3 | 70.8 |
| 2016 | 83.2 | 71.9 |
| 2017 | 82.9 | 76.0 |
| 2018 | 79.5 | 67.0 |
| 2019 | 83.5 | 69.7 |
| 2020 | 82.0 | 69.1 |
| 2021 | 82.1 | 79.5 |
| 2022 | 73.2 | 75.8 |
| 2023 | 83.0 | 77.9 |
| 2024 | 75.7 | 76.8 |
Utilities
- Hagerstown, MD
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Hagerstown, MD | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 103.6 | 90.0 |
| 2009 | 108.8 | 88.6 |
| 2010 | 99.6 | 90.6 |
| 2011 | 99.6 | 94.2 |
| 2012 | 101.0 | 93.8 |
| 2013 | 98.9 | 93.9 |
| 2014 | 94.9 | 94.8 |
| 2015 | 102.0 | 93.6 |
| 2016 | 110.4 | 91.4 |
| 2017 | 105.4 | 89.9 |
| 2018 | 90.2 | 89.6 |
| 2019 | 90.8 | 91.8 |
| 2020 | 90.7 | 92.5 |
| 2021 | 88.7 | 90.7 |
| 2022 | 89.2 | 91.5 |
| 2023 | 90.9 | 87.4 |
| 2024 | 95.7 | 89.3 |
Other services
- Hagerstown, MD
- Athens, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Hagerstown, MD | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 104.1 | 98.1 |
| 2009 | 103.5 | 97.6 |
| 2010 | 104.8 | 99.7 |
| 2011 | 104.6 | 100.8 |
| 2012 | 103.4 | 100.8 |
| 2013 | 104.0 | 100.3 |
| 2014 | 106.5 | 100.1 |
| 2015 | 106.5 | 100.7 |
| 2016 | 103.6 | 101.9 |
| 2017 | 102.0 | 100.1 |
| 2018 | 98.3 | 97.5 |
| 2019 | 95.5 | 95.6 |
| 2020 | 95.6 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 99.9 | 99.4 |
| 2022 | 100.6 | 99.5 |
| 2023 | 99.8 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 99.5 | 98.7 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,776 in Athens vs $1,614 in Hagerstown
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Hagerstown, MD
- 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
| Hagerstown, MD | Athens, GA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $919 | $839 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $937 | $865 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $939 | $852 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $927 | $867 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $945 | $869 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $950 | $905 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $948 | $909 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $951 | $927 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $969 | $935 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $971 | $939 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $978 | $966 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $974 | $981 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $983 | $1,021 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $1,001 | $1,042 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $1,000 | $1,047 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $1,005 | $1,076 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $1,027 | $1,076 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,032 | $1,107 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,034 | $1,129 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,044 | $1,168 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,048 | $1,167 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,086 | $1,178 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,115 | $1,211 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,119 | $1,246 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,155 | $1,275 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,207 | $1,303 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,261 | $1,371 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,282 | $1,400 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,310 | $1,432 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,353 | $1,499 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,386 | $1,541 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,423 | $1,535 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,415 | $1,608 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,447 | $1,617 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,451 | $1,644 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,448 | $1,660 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,472 | $1,671 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,507 | $1,702 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,528 | $1,705 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,522 | $1,712 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,534 | $1,716 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,572 | $1,718 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,568 | $1,735 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,578 | $1,747 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,592 | $1,768 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,623 | $1,754 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,614 | $1,776 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $367,000 in Athens vs $323,000 in Hagerstown
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Hagerstown, MD
- 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
| Hagerstown, MD | Athens, GA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $172K | $157K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $172K | $159K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $175K | $160K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $175K | $163K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $176K | $165K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $176K | $167K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $176K | $169K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $178K | $170K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $181K | $173K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $182K | $177K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $184K | $181K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $187K | $185K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $190K | $188K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $192K | $192K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $194K | $197K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $196K | $202K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $200K | $207K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $202K | $211K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $204K | $214K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $206K | $219K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $209K | $225K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $212K | $229K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $217K | $236K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $227K | $248K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $238K | $260K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $250K | $272K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $255K | $283K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $260K | $294K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $273K | $311K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $284K | $323K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $283K | $324K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $281K | $323K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $283K | $325K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $287K | $332K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $292K | $339K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $294K | $344K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $298K | $349K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $303K | $355K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $306K | $355K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $310K | $358K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $313K | $360K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $313K | $359K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $315K | $361K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $318K | $364K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $321K | $367K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $321K | $367K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $323K | $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.