City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 10.1% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $110,100 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Tampa, FL ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,089 in Tampa | $90,836 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
39 Weak offer
Tampa, FL → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; 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; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Tampa, FL | Real change, Birmingham → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $60,120 | $54,610 (−12.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $130,450 | $118,495 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $78,990 | $71,751 (−8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $85,470 | $77,637 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.