City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Mobile, AL are 1.9% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $101,900 in Mobile, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $919 a month in Mobile, AL versus $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Mobile, AL and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Kingsport, TN.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Kingsport, TN to Mobile, AL changes real buying power by −1.9%, purely from prices.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much cheaper)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kingsport, TN | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,910 in Mobile | $98,126 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Mobile, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
63 Fair offer
Mobile, AL → Kingsport, TN
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Kingsport, TN to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Mobile, AL | Real change, Kingsport → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $60,970 | $59,827 (+2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $122,540 | $120,244 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $72,130 | $70,778 (−6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $79,490 | $78,000 (+1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.