City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 15.3% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $115,300 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.1% moving from Birmingham, AL to Manchester, NH ($107,510 → $120,548), while prices change by +15.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,291 in Manchester | $86,737 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
Manchester, NH → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Manchester, NH | Real change, Birmingham → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $69,905 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $84,579 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $101,375 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $120,548 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $142,452 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $73,380 | $63,648 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $162,090 | $140,592 (+12.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $83,660 | $72,564 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $98,600 | $85,523 (+8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.