City comparison
Akron, OH vs Birmingham, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Akron, OH are 1.9% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $101,900 in Akron, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Akron, OH to Birmingham, AL ($111,138 → $107,510), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Birmingham, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,151 in Birmingham | $101,883 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $47,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Birmingham, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 71.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 83.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Birmingham, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
75 Strong offer
Birmingham, AL → Akron, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
63 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Birmingham, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Birmingham, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Birmingham, AL | Real change, Akron → Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,344 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,431 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,410 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $107,510 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $127,044 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Birmingham, AL | Birmingham pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,530 | $115,520 | $117,696 (+12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $125,410 | $127,772 (+21.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $78,660 | $80,141 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $78,680 | $80,162 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.