City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 29.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $129,500 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($124,085 → $107,510), while prices change by −22.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.2% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $77,243 in Tuscaloosa | $129,461 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +29.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.8%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Los Angeles → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,344 | +12.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,431 | +12.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,410 | +12.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,510 | +12.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,044 | +12.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $60,220 | $77,962 (−23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $104,870 | $135,766 (−15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $71,690 | $92,811 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $75,250 | $97,420 (−28.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.