City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 8.9% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $108,900 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Waterbury, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Waterbury, CT ($107,510 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,876 in Waterbury | $91,848 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
43 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Birmingham → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $72,737 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $88,005 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $105,481 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $125,431 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $148,222 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $79,640 | $73,148 (+16.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $131,290 | $120,587 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $93,010 | $85,428 (+8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $101,690 | $93,400 (+18.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.