City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 5.9% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $105,900 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Birmingham, AL to Rochester, NY ($107,510 → $107,182), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,883 in Rochester | $94,444 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
51 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Rochester, NY | Real change, Birmingham → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,155 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $75,202 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $90,135 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $107,182 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $126,657 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $62,840 | $59,349 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $122,770 | $115,949 (−7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $80,890 | $76,396 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $86,570 | $81,760 (+3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.