City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Chattanooga, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Birmingham, AL (91.6) and Chattanooga, TN (91.5, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Birmingham, AL goes as far as $99,800 in Chattanooga, TN.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,263 a month in Chattanooga, TN versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Chattanooga, TN and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Chattanooga, TN ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Chattanooga, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,804 in Chattanooga | $100,197 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,263/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $46,700 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Chattanooga, TN-GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 76.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.0 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 74.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Chattanooga, TN
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
69 Fair offer
Chattanooga, TN → Birmingham, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Chattanooga, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Chattanooga, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Chattanooga, TN | Real change, Birmingham → Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $59,830 | $59,948 (−4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $106,750 | $106,960 (−14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $76,680 | $76,831 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $79,770 | $79,927 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.