City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 12.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $112,500 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($108,592 → $107,510), while prices change by −11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.3% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- 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
| Harrisburg, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,922 in Tuscaloosa | $112,458 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Harrisburg → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,344 | +11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,431 | +11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $90,410 | +11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $107,510 | +11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $127,044 | +11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $60,220 | $67,722 (−12.2%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $104,870 | $117,934 (+7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $71,690 | $80,621 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $75,250 | $84,624 (−12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.