City comparison
College Station, TX vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in College Station, TX are 3.2% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $103,200 in College Station, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in College Station, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from College Station, TX to Mobile, AL changes real buying power by +3.2%, purely from prices.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| College Station, TX | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,863 in Mobile | $103,238 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
79 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → College Station, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
59 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from College Station, TX to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Mobile, AL | Real change, College Station → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,890 | $121,810 | $125,755 (+23.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $122,540 | $126,508 (+24.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $72,130 | $74,466 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $79,490 | $82,064 (−1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.