City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 15.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $115,000 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,201 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.1% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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
| Salt Lake City, UT | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,967 in Tuscaloosa | $114,986 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,201/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,201/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Salt Lake City → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +16.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +16.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +16.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +16.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +16.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $60,220 | $69,245 (−11.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $104,870 | $120,586 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $71,690 | $82,433 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $75,250 | $86,527 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.