City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 3.5% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $103,500 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Nashville, TN ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,509 in Nashville | $96,610 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
58 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Nashville, TN | Real change, Huntsville → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $61,460 | $59,376 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $126,610 | $122,318 (−4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $78,080 | $75,433 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $84,040 | $81,191 (+5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.