City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 21.3% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $121,300 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.3% moving from Birmingham, AL to Seattle, WA ($107,510 → $119,630), while prices change by +21.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,266 in Seattle | $82,463 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Seattle, WA | Real change, Birmingham → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $69,373 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $83,935 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $100,602 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $119,630 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $141,367 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $102,920 | $84,871 (+35.5%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $167,280 | $137,945 (+10.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $99,370 | $81,944 (+4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $128,260 | $105,767 (+34.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.