City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Hartford, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 12.1% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $112,100 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Hartford, CT ($107,510 → $120,094), while prices change by +12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.4% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Hartford, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 102.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,114 in Hartford | $89,195 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,477/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $59,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 110.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 144.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 102.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
38 Weak offer
Hartford, CT → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Hartford, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Hartford, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Hartford, CT | Real change, Birmingham → Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $69,642 | −0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $84,260 | −0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $100,992 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $120,094 | −0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $141,915 | −0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Hartford, CT | Hartford pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $79,800 | $71,177 (+13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $132,520 | $118,201 (−5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $95,940 | $85,573 (+8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $101,470 | $90,506 (+15.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.