City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Fresno, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 11.5% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $111,500 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Birmingham, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Birmingham, AL to Fresno, CA ($107,510 → $106,973), while prices change by +11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Fresno, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 102.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,473 in Fresno | $89,708 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,355/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $46,910 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Fresno, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Fresno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 161.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 102.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Fresno, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
38 Weak offer
Fresno, CA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Fresno, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Fresno, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Fresno, CA | Real change, Birmingham → Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,033 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $75,055 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,959 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,973 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $126,410 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Fresno, CA | Fresno pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,520 | $118,420 | $106,232 (−8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $129,060 | $115,777 (−7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $78,690 | $70,591 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $125,420 | $112,512 (+43.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.