City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 6.8% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $106,800 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Birmingham, AL to Richmond, VA ($107,510 → $111,183), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,781 in Richmond | $93,650 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$201/yr.
49 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$201/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Richmond, VA | Real change, Birmingham → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $64,475 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $78,009 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $93,499 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $111,183 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $131,385 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $61,290 | $57,398 (−8.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $132,120 | $123,730 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $84,220 | $78,872 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $93,580 | $87,638 (+11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.