City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Naples, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Naples, FL are 10.9% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $110,900 in Naples, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,797 a month in Naples, FL versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Naples, FL and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Naples, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Naples, FL ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.4% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Naples, FL: price level 103.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Naples, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,882 in Naples | $90,186 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,797/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $47,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Naples-Marco Island, FL MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Naples-Marco Island, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Naples |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 129.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Naples, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
35 Weak offer
Naples, FL → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Naples, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Naples, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Naples, FL | Real change, Huntsville → Naples |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | −13.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | −13.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | −13.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | −13.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | −13.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Naples, FL | Naples pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,330 | $99,000 | $89,284 (−31.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $130,730 | $117,900 (−7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $84,570 | $76,270 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $93,330 | $84,171 (+9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.