City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Eugene, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Eugene, OR are 10.8% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $110,800 in Eugene, OR to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,286 a month in Eugene, OR versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Eugene, OR and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,185 a year higher in Eugene, OR than in Birmingham, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Eugene, OR ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Eugene, OR: price level 101.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Eugene, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 101.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,829 in Eugene | $90,229 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,286/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $49,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Eugene-Springfield, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Eugene |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 98.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 102.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 101.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Eugene, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,185/yr.
38 Weak offer
Eugene, OR → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,185/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Eugene, OR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Eugene, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Eugene, OR | Real change, Birmingham → Eugene |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Eugene, OR | Eugene pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $64,260 | $57,981 (−7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $121,050 | $109,222 (−12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $79,930 | $72,120 (−8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $113,720 | $102,609 (+30.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.