City comparison
Canton, OH vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Canton, OH are 1.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $101,900 in Canton, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Canton, OH to Tuscaloosa, AL ($111,138 → $107,510), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (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
| Canton, OH | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,116 in Tuscaloosa | $101,920 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Tuscaloosa, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
75 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Canton, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Canton → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,344 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,431 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,410 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $107,510 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $127,044 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $60,220 | $61,376 (−21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $104,870 | $106,883 (+1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $71,690 | $73,066 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $75,250 | $76,695 (−3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.