City comparison
Tallahassee, FL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tallahassee, FL are 7.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $107,100 in Tallahassee, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,204 a month in Tallahassee, FL versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Tallahassee, FL and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Tallahassee, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Tallahassee, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.1% in real buying power.
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- 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
| Tallahassee, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,402 in Tuscaloosa | $107,064 in Tallahassee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,204/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,520 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tallahassee, FL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tallahassee | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.5 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tallahassee, FL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
91 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Tallahassee, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tallahassee, FL 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 Tallahassee, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tallahassee, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Tallahassee → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tallahassee, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Tallahassee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $55,020 | $60,220 | $64,474 (+17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $121,800 | $104,870 | $112,278 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $61,840 | $71,690 | $76,754 (+24.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,430 | $75,250 | $80,566 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.