City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 3.9% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $103,900 in Savannah, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,567 in GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Savannah, GA ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,887 in Savannah | $96,259 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Savannah, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$168/yr.
57 Fair offer
Savannah, GA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$168/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Savannah, GA | Real change, Birmingham → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $63,710 | $61,326 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $123,220 | $118,610 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $79,790 | $76,805 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $86,760 | $83,514 (+6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.