City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 4.0% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $104,000 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Both are in AL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,735 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Mobile, AL ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,131 in Mobile | $104,025 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
81 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Mobile, AL | Real change, Birmingham → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $60,970 | $63,424 (+1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $122,540 | $127,472 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $72,130 | $75,033 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $79,490 | $82,690 (+5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.