City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baton Rouge, LA are 3.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $103,500 in Baton Rouge, LA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Baton Rouge, LA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,121 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,631 in Tuscaloosa | $103,486 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$2,121/yr.
80 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,121/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Baton Rouge → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $60,220 | $62,319 (+5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $104,870 | $108,526 (+6.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $71,690 | $74,189 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $75,250 | $77,873 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.