City comparison
Manchester, NH vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 20.4% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $120,400 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.8% moving from Manchester, NH to Tuscaloosa, AL ($120,548 → $107,510), while prices change by −17.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (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
| Manchester, NH | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,025 in Tuscaloosa | $120,445 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Manchester → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,344 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,431 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $90,410 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $107,510 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $127,044 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $60,220 | $72,532 (−1.2%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $104,870 | $126,311 (−22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $71,690 | $86,347 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $75,250 | $90,635 (−8.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.