City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 1.8% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $101,800 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Huntsville, AL to San Antonio, TX ($110,847 → $108,001), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,766 in San Antonio | $98,264 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
63 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Huntsville, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Huntsville → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $62,629 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $75,776 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $90,823 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $108,001 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $127,624 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $61,720 | $60,649 (−2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $128,430 | $126,201 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $78,650 | $77,285 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $94,370 | $92,732 (+20.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.