City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 13.3% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $113,300 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Waterbury, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Mobile, AL to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,258 in Waterbury | $88,294 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
38 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Mobile → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $79,640 | $70,317 (+15.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $131,290 | $115,921 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $93,010 | $82,122 (+13.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $101,690 | $89,786 (+13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.