City comparison
Seattle, WA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 26.7% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $126,700 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from Seattle, WA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($119,630 → $107,510), while prices change by −21.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.9% in real buying power.
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much 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
| Seattle, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $78,934 in Tuscaloosa | $126,688 in Seattle |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,146/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $72,610 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Seattle | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 151.3 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 104.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 92.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 106.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 111.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Seattle, WA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −21.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
26 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Seattle, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Seattle, WA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Seattle, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Seattle → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,344 | +13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,431 | +13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $90,410 | +13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $107,510 | +13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $127,044 | +13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Seattle, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Seattle dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,920 | $60,220 | $76,291 (−25.9%) |
| Software Developers | $167,280 | $104,870 | $132,857 (−20.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,370 | $71,690 | $90,822 (−8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,260 | $75,250 | $95,333 (−25.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.