City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 10.1% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $110,100 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,201 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Salt Lake City, UT ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,065 in Salt Lake City | $90,855 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,201/yr.
40 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,201/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Birmingham → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $77,920 | $70,795 (+13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $129,600 | $117,749 (−6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $82,100 | $74,592 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $85,890 | $78,036 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.