City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Brownsville, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 6.6% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $106,600 in Birmingham, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Brownsville, TX ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Brownsville, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 86.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,814 in Brownsville | $106,594 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $866/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $36,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Brownsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 57.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 86.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
89 Strong offer
Brownsville, TX → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Brownsville, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Brownsville, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Brownsville, TX | Real change, Birmingham → Brownsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Brownsville, TX | Brownsville pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $63,350 | $67,527 (+7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $106,990 | $114,045 (−9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $66,440 | $70,821 (−10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $81,090 | $86,437 (+9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.