(The Center Square) – A $100 bill in Georgia will go further than the same amount in other states, according to an analysis from the Tax Foundation.
The report compared the purchasing power of $100 in the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of the 50 states based on 2023 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The Atlanta metropolitan area was the only area where consumers could purchase goods and services for less than $100 with a Ben Franklin at $99.08. One hundred dollars had more purchasing power in Albany at $115.73, followed closely by Valdosta at $115.32.
The spending power for the same amount was the lowest in Gainesville, at $105.06. In the nonmetro areas of the Peach State, consumers could get $114.92 for that one-hundred-dollar bill.
When compared to surrounding states, Georgia ranked near the bottom in comparison to other nonmetropolitan areas. North Carolina took the lowest spot among Georgia’s neighbors. The $100 amounts to $113.73 in spending there. The same amount yields $118.67 in Alabama, $117.65 in Tennessee and $116.73 in South Carolina.
The San Francisco metropolitan area ranked last among all states and metropolitan areas. A $100 bill there would only yield $84.58 in goods and services, according to the analysis.
The three best states for purchasing power are the nonmetropolitan areas of Arizona, where $100 amounts to $126.24, Arkansas at $121.69 and Louisiana at $120.50, the report said. The least expensive metro area is Pine Bluff, Ark., where $100 yields $124.49 in goods and services.
