City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Birmingham, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 9.2% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $109,200 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,567 a year in GA and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.5% moving from Atlanta, GA to Birmingham, AL ($112,556 → $107,510), while prices change by −8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Birmingham, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,591 in Birmingham | $109,181 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $47,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Birmingham, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 71.9 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 83.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$168/yr.
97 Strong offer
Birmingham, AL → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$168/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Birmingham, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Birmingham, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Birmingham, AL | Real change, Atlanta → Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,344 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,431 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,410 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $107,510 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $127,044 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Birmingham, AL | Birmingham pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $62,630 | $68,380 (−10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $125,410 | $136,924 (+3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $78,660 | $85,882 (+0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $78,680 | $85,904 (−14.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.