City comparison
Gulfport, MS vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Gulfport, MS are 2.6% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $102,600 in Gulfport, MS to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 15% in Gulfport, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,467 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Gulfport, MS.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Gulfport, MS to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (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
| Gulfport, MS | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,462 in Tuscaloosa | $102,604 in Gulfport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $923/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,470 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gulfport | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.9 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 76.3 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gulfport, MS → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,467/yr.
77 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Gulfport, MS
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,467/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gulfport, MS 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 Gulfport, MS to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gulfport, MS | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Gulfport → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gulfport, MS | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Gulfport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,820 | $60,220 | $61,788 (+21.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,240 | $104,870 | $107,600 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,380 | $71,690 | $73,557 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,960 | $75,250 | $77,209 (−2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.