City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 13.0% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $113,000 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,805 in IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Chicago, IL ($107,510 → $118,984), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,041 in Chicago | $88,464 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$70/yr.
37 Weak offer
Chicago, IL → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$70/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Chicago, IL | Real change, Birmingham → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $68,999 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $83,482 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $100,059 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $118,984 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $140,604 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $78,390 | $69,347 (+10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $134,380 | $118,878 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $82,360 | $72,859 (−7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $100,490 | $88,897 (+13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.