City comparison
Tulsa, OK vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tulsa, OK are 1.7% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $101,700 in Tulsa, OK to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $987 a month in Tulsa, OK and $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $781 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Tulsa, OK to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much 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
| Tulsa, OK | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,328 in Tuscaloosa | $101,701 in Tulsa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $987/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,226 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,955 (OK) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tulsa, OK and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tulsa | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.2 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 73.9 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 95.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 89.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tulsa, OK → Tuscaloosa, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$781/yr.
74 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Tulsa, OK
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$781/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tulsa, OK | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Tulsa → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tulsa, OK | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Tulsa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $48,220 | $60,220 | $61,244 (+27.0%) |
| Software Developers | $108,730 | $104,870 | $106,654 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,320 | $71,690 | $72,909 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,790 | $75,250 | $76,530 (−9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.