City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Bremerton, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 15.2% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $115,200 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.3% moving from Birmingham, AL to Bremerton, WA ($107,510 → $119,630), while prices change by +15.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Bremerton, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 105.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,236 in Bremerton | $86,778 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,548/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $63,200 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Bremerton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 129.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 92.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 105.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
Bremerton, WA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Bremerton, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Bremerton, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Bremerton, WA | Real change, Birmingham → Bremerton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $69,373 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $83,935 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $100,602 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $119,630 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $141,367 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Bremerton, WA | Bremerton pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $102,650 | $89,078 (+42.2%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $146,200 | $126,870 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $88,250 | $76,582 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $107,220 | $93,044 (+18.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.