City comparison
Austin, TX vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 11.8% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $111,800 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa, AL ($109,428 → $107,510), while prices change by −10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.8% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,452 in Tuscaloosa | $111,792 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $972/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Austin → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $62,344 | +9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $75,431 | +9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $90,410 | +9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $107,510 | +9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $127,044 | +9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $60,220 | $67,321 (+9.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $104,870 | $117,236 (−12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $71,690 | $80,144 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $75,250 | $84,123 (−14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.