City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 9.5% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $109,500 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Birmingham, AL to Spokane, WA ($107,510 → $106,991), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.1% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,495 in Spokane | $91,328 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,193/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
42 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Spokane, WA | Real change, Birmingham → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,044 | −9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $75,068 | −9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,974 | −9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,991 | −9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $126,432 | −9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $98,800 | $90,232 (+44.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $130,690 | $119,357 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $86,350 | $78,862 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $111,750 | $102,059 (+29.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.