City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 24.2% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $124,200 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +20.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to San Francisco, CA ($110,847 → $133,060), while prices change by +24.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (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 Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,219 in San Francisco | $80,503 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.2%; 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 Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Huntsville → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $77,161 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $93,358 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $111,896 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $133,060 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $157,236 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $101,860 | $82,000 (+31.7%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $186,640 | $150,251 (+17.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $110,730 | $89,141 (+12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $186,610 | $150,227 (+94.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.