City comparison
Tuscaloosa, AL vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 9.4% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $109,400 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, PA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Tuscaloosa, AL to York, PA ($107,510 → $121,785), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Tuscaloosa, AL | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.7 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,437 in York | $91,377 in Tuscaloosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $972/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Tuscaloosa, AL and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tuscaloosa | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.2 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 87.7 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tuscaloosa, AL → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
42 Weak offer
York, PA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tuscaloosa, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Tuscaloosa, AL to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tuscaloosa, AL | York, PA | Real change, Tuscaloosa → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $70,623 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $85,447 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $102,415 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $121,785 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $143,913 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tuscaloosa, AL | York, PA | York pay in Tuscaloosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,220 | $79,730 | $72,855 (+21.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,870 | $114,600 | $104,718 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,690 | $75,160 | $68,679 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,250 | $96,210 | $87,914 (+16.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.