City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 1.4% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $101,400 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $781 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Oklahoma City, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Oklahoma City, OK ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,651 in Oklahoma City | $101,367 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Oklahoma City, OK
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$781/yr.
73 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Birmingham, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$781/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Oklahoma City, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Birmingham → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $48,780 | $49,447 (−21.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $122,390 | $124,063 (−1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $77,280 | $78,337 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $82,920 | $84,054 (+6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.