City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 14.4% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $114,400 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, 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 Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Spokane, WA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,991 → $107,510), while prices change by −12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.9% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (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
| Spokane, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,420 in Tuscaloosa | $114,391 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/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 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Spokane → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $62,344 | +14.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $75,431 | +14.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $90,410 | +14.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $107,510 | +14.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $127,044 | +14.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $60,220 | $68,886 (−30.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $104,870 | $119,962 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $71,690 | $82,007 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $75,250 | $86,079 (−23.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.