City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 5.1% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $105,100 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,121 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Lafayette, LA ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,161 in Lafayette | $105,085 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,121/yr.
85 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$2,121/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Birmingham → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $47,770 | $50,199 (−19.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $109,010 | $114,554 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $67,630 | $71,069 (−9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $81,960 | $86,128 (+9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.