City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 19.9% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $119,900 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to Mobile, AL ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −16.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.7% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bremerton, WA | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,421 in Mobile | $119,874 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Mobile, AL | Real change, Bremerton → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $60,970 | $73,087 (−28.8%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $122,540 | $146,894 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $72,130 | $86,465 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $79,490 | $95,288 (−11.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.