City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Lakeland, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Lakeland, FL are 6.0% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $106,000 in Lakeland, FL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,230 a month in Lakeland, FL versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lakeland, FL and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Lakeland, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Lakeland, FL ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Lakeland, FL: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Lakeland, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,998 in Lakeland | $94,341 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,230/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $46,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Lakeland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 95.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Lakeland, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
51 Fair offer
Lakeland, FL → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
87 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Lakeland, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Lakeland, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Lakeland, FL | Real change, Birmingham → Lakeland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Lakeland, FL | Lakeland pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,520 | $100,470 | $94,785 (−17.9%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $122,200 | $115,285 (−8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $76,820 | $72,473 (−7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $84,030 | $79,275 (+0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.