City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 1.2% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $101,200 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $349 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.0% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Huntsville, AL ($121,785 → $110,847), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,833 in Huntsville | $101,181 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Huntsville, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$349/yr.
72 Strong offer
Huntsville, AL → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$349/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Hagerstown → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $64,279 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $77,772 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $93,216 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $110,847 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $130,987 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $62,250 | $62,985 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $128,080 | $129,592 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $79,220 | $80,155 (+6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $77,090 | $78,000 (−15.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.