City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 6.2% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $106,200 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $816 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Madison, WI ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,158 in Madison | $94,200 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$816/yr.
51 Fair offer
Madison, WI → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$816/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Madison, WI | Real change, Birmingham → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $63,690 | $59,996 (−4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $130,630 | $123,053 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $81,130 | $76,424 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $101,190 | $95,321 (+21.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.