City comparison
Tuscaloosa, AL vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Winston, NC are 4.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $104,900 in Winston, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in Winston, NC versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Winston, NC and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Winston, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Tuscaloosa, AL to Winston, NC ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Tuscaloosa, AL | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.7 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,926 in Winston | $95,305 in Tuscaloosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $972/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tuscaloosa, AL and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tuscaloosa | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.2 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 87.7 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tuscaloosa, AL → Winston, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
54 Fair offer
Winston, NC → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tuscaloosa, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Winston, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Tuscaloosa, AL to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tuscaloosa, AL | Winston, NC | Real change, Tuscaloosa → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tuscaloosa, AL | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Tuscaloosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,220 | $56,510 | $53,857 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,870 | $124,130 | $118,303 (+12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,690 | $78,950 | $75,244 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,250 | $86,120 | $82,077 (+9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.