City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 14.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $114,100 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa, AL ($112,556 → $107,510), while prices change by −12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.9% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,671 in Tuscaloosa | $114,063 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $972/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $45,220 |
| 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 Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$168/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$168/yr.
35 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Atlanta → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,344 | +8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,431 | +8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,410 | +8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $107,510 | +8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $127,044 | +8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $60,220 | $68,689 (−10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $104,870 | $119,617 (−10.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $71,690 | $81,771 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $75,250 | $85,832 (−14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.