City comparison
Boston, MA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 23.4% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $123,400 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,780 a year in MA and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.8% moving from Boston, MA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($120,548 → $107,510), while prices change by −19.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.1% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,025 in Tuscaloosa | $123,419 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$45/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.0%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$45/yr.
15 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Boston → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,344 | +10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,431 | +10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $90,410 | +10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $107,510 | +10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $127,044 | +10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $60,220 | $74,323 (−24.2%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $104,870 | $129,430 (−22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $71,690 | $88,479 (−11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $75,250 | $92,873 (−12.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.