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Study: Atlanta has highest utility costs among other cities

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Measured against 100 other large metro areas, city topped list ... and, so did Georgia. Ouch

Some rough news, y’all.

While the price to buy or rent a home in Atlanta may be cheaper than many other comparable metro areas, our fair city just (sadly) topped a list as having the priciest utilities in the whole country. (Footing the bill for giant nuclear reactors probably has something to do with that).

According to a recent study by home listing website Trulia, of the largest 100 metro areas, Atlanta has the most expensive median annual utilities by dollar amount at $4,353, and is in the top 10 on both a price per-square-foot basis ($2.31) and as a percent of home values (2.6 percent).

It makes you wonder if wishy-washy seasons like the current one — in which Atlantans all over the city go from cranking the heat to blasting the A/C, often on the same day — could play a part in outrageous utility bills.

However, according to the study, climate "is not a good predictor for how much median utilities are at the zip-code or metro level."

The study examined utility costs as a percentage of home value. Using that number, Trulia measured monthly housing costs for both renters and owners, taking into account other variables like insurance, taxes, and mortgage interest.

On a slightly broader scale, Georgia (keeping it real) racked up the highest utility costs in the country ($4,347) — over $1,600 more than the national annual median cost of $2,715.

So yeah, it ain’t pretty for Atlanta, or Georgia for that matter. Too bad boycotting is out of the question. Or is it?