City comparison
Austin, TX vs Birmingham, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 7.0% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $107,000 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Austin, TX to Birmingham, AL ($109,428 → $107,510), while prices change by −6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Birmingham, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,451 in Birmingham | $107,008 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $47,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Birmingham, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 71.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 83.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
91 Strong offer
Birmingham, AL → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Birmingham, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Birmingham, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Birmingham, AL | Real change, Austin → Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $62,344 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $75,431 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $90,410 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $107,510 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $127,044 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Birmingham, AL | Birmingham pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $62,630 | $67,019 (+9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $125,410 | $134,198 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $78,660 | $84,172 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $78,680 | $84,194 (−14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.