City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 26.2% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $126,200 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Birmingham, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.8% moving from Birmingham, AL to San Francisco, CA ($107,510 → $133,060), while prices change by +26.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $126,154 in San Francisco | $79,268 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.7%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Birmingham → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $77,161 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $93,358 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $111,896 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $133,060 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $157,236 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $101,860 | $80,742 (+28.9%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $186,640 | $147,946 (+18.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $110,730 | $87,773 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $186,610 | $147,922 (+88.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.