City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 18.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $118,100 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,805 a year in IL and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.6% moving from Chicago, IL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($118,984 → $107,510), while prices change by −15.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.7% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,678 in Tuscaloosa | $118,095 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$70/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$70/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Chicago → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $62,344 | +6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $75,431 | +6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $90,410 | +6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $107,510 | +6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $127,044 | +6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $60,220 | $71,117 (−9.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $104,870 | $123,846 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $71,690 | $84,662 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $75,250 | $88,866 (−11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.