City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 13.1% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $113,100 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.3% moving from Birmingham, AL to Olympia, WA ($107,510 → $119,630), while prices change by +13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,123 in Olympia | $88,400 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; 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; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Olympia, WA | Real change, Birmingham → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $69,373 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $83,935 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $100,602 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $119,630 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $141,367 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $104,650 | $92,510 (+47.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $124,060 | $109,669 (−12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $94,470 | $83,511 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $125,020 | $110,517 (+40.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.