City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 5.6% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $105,600 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Both are in AL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,735 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Mobile, AL ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,656 in Mobile | $105,646 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Mobile, AL | Real change, Huntsville → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $60,970 | $64,412 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $122,540 | $129,459 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $72,130 | $76,202 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $79,490 | $83,978 (+8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.