City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 4.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $104,500 in Birmingham, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Both are in AL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,735 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $107,510 in either. A transfer from Birmingham, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL changes real buying power by +4.5%, purely from prices.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,720 in Tuscaloosa | $104,471 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
83 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Birmingham → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,344 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $75,431 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $90,410 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $107,510 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $127,044 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $60,220 | $62,912 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $104,870 | $109,559 (−12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $71,690 | $74,895 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $75,250 | $78,614 (−0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.