The Villages, FL vs Albany, GA: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Albany, GA is 2.6% more expensive than The Villages, FL (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in The Villages works out to about $77,000 in Albany, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is everyday costs rather than housing: goods are 0.0% higher and other services 0.2% lower in Albany, while housing is 5.6% higher.
- Typical asking rent is $1,077 a month in Albany and $1,723 in The Villages, $7,752 a year less in Albany (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $168,000 in Albany and $388,000 in The Villages.
- The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Albany was 10.7% less expensive than The Villages.
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.
Everyday costs, not housing, drive the gap between The Villages and Albany
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- The Villages, FL
- Albany, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| The Villages, FL | Albany, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 85.4 | 87.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Housing (rents) | 51.7 | 54.6 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Category | The Villages | Albany | Albany vs The Villages |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 85.4 | 87.7 | +2.6% |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 | 0.0% |
| Housing (rents) | 51.7 | 54.6 | +5.6% |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 88.3 | −0.8% |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 | −0.2% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,723 | $1,077 | −37.5% |
| Typical home value | $388,000 | $168,000 | −56.8% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in The Villages | $75,000 | $77,000 | +2.6% |
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 The Villages and Albany has narrowed since 2008: 3.9 points then, 2.2 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- The Villages, FL
- Albany, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| The Villages, FL | Albany, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 90.4 | 86.5 |
| 2009 | 91.8 | 85.6 |
| 2010 | 91.0 | 87.3 |
| 2011 | 90.4 | 87.7 |
| 2012 | 93.0 | 87.4 |
| 2013 | 93.4 | 88.1 |
| 2014 | 93.1 | 88.5 |
| 2015 | 93.7 | 88.0 |
| 2016 | 93.8 | 89.3 |
| 2017 | 91.3 | 87.3 |
| 2018 | 93.3 | 86.5 |
| 2019 | 94.2 | 84.2 |
| 2020 | 92.1 | 83.8 |
| 2021 | 96.0 | 89.3 |
| 2022 | 91.1 | 86.1 |
| 2023 | 94.5 | 86.5 |
| 2024 | 85.4 | 87.7 |
Goods
- The Villages, FL
- Albany, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| The Villages, FL | Albany, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 93.7 | 96.8 |
| 2009 | 90.7 | 94.6 |
| 2010 | 96.4 | 96.6 |
| 2011 | 93.7 | 96.1 |
| 2012 | 90.3 | 95.6 |
| 2013 | 93.0 | 96.1 |
| 2014 | 91.3 | 96.0 |
| 2015 | 90.5 | 95.3 |
| 2016 | 92.2 | 96.1 |
| 2017 | 91.5 | 95.7 |
| 2018 | 95.3 | 95.6 |
| 2019 | 95.3 | 95.4 |
| 2020 | 95.2 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 95.7 | 95.8 |
| 2022 | 95.0 | 95.0 |
| 2023 | 96.3 | 96.3 |
| 2024 | 96.2 | 96.3 |
Housing (rents)
- The Villages, FL
- Albany, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| The Villages, FL | Albany, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 74.7 | 50.7 |
| 2009 | 92.3 | 53.2 |
| 2010 | 76.4 | 52.9 |
| 2011 | 73.9 | 53.8 |
| 2012 | 85.9 | 52.2 |
| 2013 | 80.3 | 54.8 |
| 2014 | 78.2 | 53.8 |
| 2015 | 87.6 | 52.9 |
| 2016 | 89.7 | 54.1 |
| 2017 | 81.7 | 52.0 |
| 2018 | 78.0 | 51.3 |
| 2019 | 88.7 | 48.0 |
| 2020 | 80.1 | 50.0 |
| 2021 | 88.8 | 56.5 |
| 2022 | 70.1 | 50.4 |
| 2023 | 80.2 | 50.0 |
| 2024 | 51.7 | 54.6 |
Utilities
- The Villages, FL
- Albany, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| The Villages, FL | Albany, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 90.6 | 86.5 |
| 2009 | 92.2 | 86.5 |
| 2010 | 89.9 | 88.0 |
| 2011 | 89.0 | 92.6 |
| 2012 | 92.5 | 92.7 |
| 2013 | 88.6 | 92.5 |
| 2014 | 95.2 | 93.0 |
| 2015 | 96.1 | 91.7 |
| 2016 | 92.0 | 90.6 |
| 2017 | 93.9 | 89.6 |
| 2018 | 88.5 | 87.9 |
| 2019 | 89.6 | 90.0 |
| 2020 | 86.1 | 91.1 |
| 2021 | 86.4 | 89.9 |
| 2022 | 91.9 | 90.1 |
| 2023 | 91.1 | 85.6 |
| 2024 | 89.0 | 88.3 |
Other services
- The Villages, FL
- Albany, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| The Villages, FL | Albany, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.0 | 97.7 |
| 2009 | 92.2 | 97.0 |
| 2010 | 94.4 | 98.8 |
| 2011 | 95.5 | 99.9 |
| 2012 | 98.3 | 100.5 |
| 2013 | 99.9 | 100.0 |
| 2014 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| 2015 | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| 2016 | 96.5 | 101.3 |
| 2017 | 94.8 | 99.4 |
| 2018 | 98.8 | 97.5 |
| 2019 | 95.9 | 95.6 |
| 2020 | 96.0 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 99.7 | 99.4 |
| 2022 | 99.9 | 99.5 |
| 2023 | 99.8 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 98.9 | 98.7 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,077 in Albany vs $1,723 in The Villages
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- The Villages, FL
- Albany, 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
| The Villages, FL | Albany, GA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | – | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | – | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | – | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | – | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | – | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | – | $624 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | – | $630 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | – | $624 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | – | $632 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | – | $637 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | – | $637 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | – | $650 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | – | $657 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | – | $671 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | – | $671 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | – | $683 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | – | $698 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | – | $706 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | – | $725 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | – | $751 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | – | $742 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | – | $776 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | – | $818 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | – | $833 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | – | $874 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,455 | $886 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,574 | $924 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,625 | $930 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,718 | $923 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,617 | $929 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,659 | $957 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,667 | $961 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,721 | $988 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,733 | $986 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,713 | $1,007 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,729 | $1,020 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,776 | $1,000 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,691 | $1,002 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,660 | $1,042 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,679 | $1,036 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,677 | $1,061 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,707 | $1,070 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,680 | $1,049 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,723 | $1,077 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $168,000 in Albany vs $388,000 in The Villages
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- The Villages, FL
- Albany, 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
| The Villages, FL | Albany, GA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $251K | $94K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $253K | $95K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $254K | $96K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $253K | $96K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $250K | $96K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $249K | $95K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $249K | $93K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $250K | $93K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $251K | $91K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $252K | $91K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $253K | $92K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $256K | $94K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $259K | $97K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $263K | $98K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $268K | $99K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $273K | $100K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $277K | $101K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $280K | $102K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $284K | $104K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $287K | $105K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $290K | $107K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $291K | $110K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $295K | $112K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $300K | $117K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $301K | $120K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | – | $124K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $329K | $128K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $352K | $133K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $379K | $141K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $411K | $145K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $420K | $150K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $415K | $151K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $409K | $150K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $408K | $154K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $404K | $156K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $400K | $158K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $398K | $160K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $399K | $165K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $398K | $166K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $397K | $165K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $395K | $165K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $393K | $162K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $390K | $161K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $391K | $162K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $391K | $163K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $388K | $165K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $388K | $168K | $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.