City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Birmingham, AL (91.6) and Rockford, IL (92.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Birmingham, AL goes as far as $100,600 in Rockford, IL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,805 in IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Rockford, IL ($107,510 → $118,984), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.1% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,557 in Rockford | $99,447 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Rockford, IL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$70/yr.
67 Fair offer
Rockford, IL → Birmingham, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$70/yr.
70 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Rockford, IL | Real change, Birmingham → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $68,999 | +10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $83,482 | +10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $100,059 | +10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $118,984 | +10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $140,604 | +10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,520 | $119,400 | $118,739 (+2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $107,640 | $107,044 (−14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $75,260 | $74,843 (−4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $80,930 | $80,482 (+2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.