City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 12.5% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $112,500 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.6% moving from Birmingham, AL to Dallas, TX ($107,510 → $115,711), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,490 in Dallas | $88,897 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
Dallas, TX → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; 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; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Dallas, TX | Real change, Birmingham → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $67,100 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $81,186 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $97,307 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $115,711 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $136,736 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $65,070 | $57,845 (−7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $133,290 | $118,491 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $82,620 | $73,447 (−6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $101,420 | $90,159 (+14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.