City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Boise City, ID
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 7.4% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $107,400 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Boise City, ID ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Boise City, ID | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 98.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,362 in Boise City | $93,143 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,381/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,988 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,192 (ID) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $49,100 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Boise City, ID.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Boise City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 105.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 70.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 98.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
47 Fair offer
Boise City, ID → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Boise City, ID is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Boise City, ID at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Boise City, ID | Real change, Birmingham → Boise City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Boise City, ID | Boise City pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $61,230 | $57,031 (−8.9%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $131,590 | $122,566 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $76,700 | $71,440 (−9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $97,880 | $91,168 (+15.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.