City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 20.4% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $120,400 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from Bremerton, WA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($119,630 → $107,510), while prices change by −16.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,065 in Tuscaloosa | $120,388 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $972/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.9%; 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; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Bremerton → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,344 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,431 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $90,410 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $107,510 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $127,044 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $60,220 | $72,498 (−29.4%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $104,870 | $126,251 (−13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $71,690 | $86,306 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $75,250 | $90,592 (−15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.