City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Charleston, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charleston, SC are 10.2% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $110,200 in Charleston, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,630 a month in Charleston, SC versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Charleston, SC and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,843 in SC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Charleston, SC ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Charleston, SC: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Charleston, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,168 in Charleston | $90,771 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,630/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $49,150 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 119.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Charleston, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$108/yr.
38 Weak offer
Charleston, SC → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$108/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Charleston, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Charleston, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Charleston, SC | Real change, Birmingham → Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Charleston, SC | Charleston pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $61,020 | $55,388 (−11.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $132,150 | $119,954 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $79,350 | $72,027 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $92,800 | $84,235 (+7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.