City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 20.2% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $120,200 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.7% moving from Huntsville, AL to San Diego, CA ($110,847 → $121,585), while prices change by +20.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.8% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,216 in San Diego | $83,184 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | San Diego, CA | Real change, Huntsville → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $70,507 | −8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $85,307 | −8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $102,246 | −8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $121,585 | −8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $143,677 | −8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $97,000 | $80,688 (+29.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $163,270 | $135,814 (+6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $96,340 | $80,139 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $139,520 | $116,058 (+50.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.