City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Little Rock, AR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 2.6% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $102,600 in Birmingham, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,048 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Little Rock, AR ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Little Rock, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 89.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,512 in Little Rock | $102,551 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $989/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,493 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,687 (AR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $45,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 74.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 89.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,048/yr.
77 Strong offer
Little Rock, AR → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,048/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Little Rock, AR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Little Rock, AR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Little Rock, AR | Real change, Birmingham → Little Rock |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Little Rock, AR | Little Rock pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $58,580 | $60,075 (−4.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $104,070 | $106,725 (−14.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $65,810 | $67,489 (−14.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $81,070 | $83,138 (+5.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.