City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 10.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $110,500 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,119 a month in Milwaukee, WI versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Milwaukee, WI and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $816 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.4% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Tuscaloosa, AL ($111,310 → $107,510), while prices change by −9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.7% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,494 in Tuscaloosa | $110,505 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$816/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$816/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Milwaukee → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $62,344 | +6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $75,431 | +6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $90,410 | +6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $107,510 | +6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $127,044 | +6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $60,220 | $66,546 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $104,870 | $115,886 (−6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $71,690 | $79,221 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $75,250 | $83,155 (−14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.