City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Cleveland, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cleveland, OH are 2.5% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $102,500 in Cleveland, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Birmingham, AL to Cleveland, OH ($107,510 → $111,138), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Cleveland, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,487 in Cleveland | $97,574 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,058/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $50,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 79.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 96.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Cleveland, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
61 Fair offer
Cleveland, OH → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Cleveland, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Cleveland, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Cleveland, OH | Real change, Birmingham → Cleveland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $64,448 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $77,977 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $93,461 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $111,138 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $131,331 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $76,470 | $74,614 (+19.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $111,310 | $108,609 (−13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $80,000 | $78,059 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $83,940 | $81,903 (+4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.