City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in El Paso, TX are 2.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $102,500 in El Paso, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,013 a month in El Paso, TX and $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from El Paso, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (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
| El Paso, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,564 in Tuscaloosa | $102,497 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $972/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 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
77 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → El Paso, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, El Paso → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $60,220 | $61,723 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $104,870 | $107,488 (−15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $71,690 | $73,480 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $75,250 | $77,129 (−10.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.