City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 21.6% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $121,600 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Sacramento, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($117,984 → $107,510), while prices change by −17.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.8% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (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
| Sacramento, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,237 in Tuscaloosa | $121,600 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.8%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
31 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Sacramento → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $62,344 | +10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $75,431 | +10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $90,410 | +10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $107,510 | +10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $127,044 | +10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $60,220 | $73,228 (−29.2%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $104,870 | $127,522 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $71,690 | $87,175 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $75,250 | $91,504 (−46.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.