City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 20.2% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $120,200 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.7% moving from Anchorage, AK to Tuscaloosa, AL ($120,348 → $107,510), while prices change by −16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,212 in Tuscaloosa | $120,175 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Anchorage → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $62,344 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $75,431 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $90,410 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $107,510 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $127,044 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $60,220 | $72,369 (−8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $104,870 | $126,028 (+21.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $71,690 | $86,154 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $75,250 | $90,432 (−21.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.