City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 7.6% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $107,600 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Birmingham, AL to Houston, TX ($107,510 → $122,749), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,622 in Houston | $92,918 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,323/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
47 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Houston, TX | Real change, Birmingham → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $71,181 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $86,123 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $103,225 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $122,749 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $145,052 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $64,500 | $59,932 (−4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $129,440 | $120,273 (−4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $85,090 | $79,064 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $99,830 | $92,760 (+17.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.