City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 9.0% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $109,000 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, 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 Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Orlando, FL ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.9% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,967 in Orlando | $91,771 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,731/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
41 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Orlando, FL | Real change, Huntsville → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | −11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | −11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | −11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | −11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | −11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $60,190 | $55,237 (−11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $129,620 | $118,953 (−7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $78,630 | $72,159 (−8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $83,550 | $76,674 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.