City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 16.4% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $116,400 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Birmingham, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Sacramento, CA ($107,510 → $117,984), while prices change by +16.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,396 in Sacramento | $85,914 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Birmingham → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $68,419 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $82,780 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $99,218 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $117,984 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $139,422 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $103,390 | $88,826 (+41.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $139,640 | $119,970 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $92,110 | $79,135 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $171,460 | $147,307 (+87.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.