City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 2.5% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $102,500 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,121 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Huntsville, AL ($106,437 → $110,847), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baton Rouge, LA | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,525 in Huntsville | $97,537 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,121/yr.
61 Fair offer
Huntsville, AL → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,121/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Baton Rouge → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,279 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,772 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,216 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,847 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,987 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $62,250 | $60,717 (+2.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $128,080 | $124,926 (+22.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $79,220 | $77,269 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $77,090 | $75,192 (−7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.