City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 4.8% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $104,800 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,780 in MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Springfield, MA ($107,510 → $120,094), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.6% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,820 in Springfield | $95,402 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$45/yr.
54 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$45/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Springfield, MA | Real change, Birmingham → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $69,642 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $84,260 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $100,992 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $120,094 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $141,915 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $79,640 | $75,978 (+21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $127,740 | $121,866 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $92,010 | $87,779 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $98,410 | $93,885 (+19.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.