City comparison
Raleigh, NC vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 11.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $111,900 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Raleigh, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL ($111,147 → $107,510), while prices change by −10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
- 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
| Raleigh, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,369 in Tuscaloosa | $111,896 in Raleigh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,596/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,990 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Raleigh | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.5 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Raleigh, NC → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Raleigh, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Raleigh, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Raleigh, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Raleigh → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,344 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,431 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,410 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $107,510 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $127,044 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Raleigh, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Raleigh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,170 | $60,220 | $67,383 (+12.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,770 | $104,870 | $117,345 (−11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,950 | $71,690 | $80,218 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,830 | $75,250 | $84,201 (−0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.