City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 2.8% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $102,800 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $349 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Birmingham, AL to Hagerstown, MD ($107,510 → $121,785), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.2% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,757 in Hagerstown | $97,317 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$349/yr.
60 Fair offer
Hagerstown, MD → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$349/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Birmingham → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $70,623 | +10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $85,447 | +10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $102,415 | +10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $121,785 | +10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $143,913 | +10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $63,190 | $61,494 (−1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $122,830 | $119,534 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $75,250 | $73,231 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $92,770 | $90,281 (+14.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.