City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Gulfport, MS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 1.8% higher than in Gulfport, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Gulfport, MS would need about $101,800 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 $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 15% in Gulfport, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,467 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Gulfport, MS.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Gulfport, MS ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Gulfport, MS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 90.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,213 in Gulfport | $101,820 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $923/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,912 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,268 (MS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $43,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Gulfport-Biloxi, MS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Gulfport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 67.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 76.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.1 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 90.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Gulfport, MS
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,467/yr.
74 Strong offer
Gulfport, MS → Birmingham, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,467/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Gulfport, MS is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Gulfport, MS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Gulfport, MS | Real change, Birmingham → Gulfport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Gulfport, MS | Gulfport pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $50,820 | $51,745 (−17.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $104,240 | $106,137 (−15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $76,380 | $77,770 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $78,960 | $80,397 (+2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.