City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 22.8% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $122,800 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to New York, NY ($107,510 → $125,431), while prices change by +22.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,826 in New York | $81,416 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.6%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | New York, NY | Real change, Birmingham → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $72,737 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $88,005 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $105,481 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $125,431 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $148,222 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | New York, NY | New York pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $96,900 | $78,892 (+26.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $166,830 | $135,826 (+8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $105,650 | $86,016 (+9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $119,720 | $97,471 (+23.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.