City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Columbus, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 2.6% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $102,600 in Birmingham, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,567 in GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Columbus, GA ($107,510 → $112,556), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Columbus, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 89.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,438 in Columbus | $102,629 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $939/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $43,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Columbus, GA-AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 61.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 89.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 89.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$168/yr.
77 Strong offer
Columbus, GA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$168/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Columbus, GA is in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Columbus, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Columbus, GA | Real change, Birmingham → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $65,271 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $78,972 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $94,654 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $112,556 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $133,007 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Columbus, GA | Columbus pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $61,360 | $62,973 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $116,150 | $119,204 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $73,640 | $75,576 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $82,500 | $84,669 (+7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.