City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 6.5% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $106,500 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Birmingham, AL to Durham, NC ($107,510 → $111,147), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.9% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,469 in Durham | $93,924 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
50 Fair offer
Durham, NC → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Durham, NC | Real change, Birmingham → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $64,453 | −2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $77,983 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $93,468 | −2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $111,147 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $131,342 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $51,400 | $48,277 (−22.9%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $135,620 | $127,380 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $85,090 | $79,920 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.