City comparison
Lubbock, TX vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Lubbock, TX are 4.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $104,100 in Lubbock, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $990 a month in Lubbock, TX and $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Lubbock, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Lubbock, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,063 in Tuscaloosa | $104,098 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
82 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Lubbock, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
56 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Lubbock, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lubbock, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Lubbock → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $98,480 | $99,460 | $103,536 (+5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | $104,870 | $109,168 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $71,690 | $74,628 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $75,250 | $78,334 (−3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.