City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 19.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $119,100 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $349 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Baltimore, MD to Tuscaloosa, AL ($121,785 → $107,510), while prices change by −16.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,955 in Tuscaloosa | $119,112 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$349/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$349/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Baltimore → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,344 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,431 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,410 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $107,510 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $127,044 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $60,220 | $71,729 (−6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $104,870 | $124,912 (−10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $71,690 | $85,391 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $75,250 | $89,631 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.