City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Springfield, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 3.5% higher than in Springfield, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MO would need about $103,500 in Birmingham, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $883 in Springfield, MO. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 14% in Springfield, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $972 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Springfield, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Springfield, MO ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Springfield, MO: price level 88.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Springfield, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 88.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,662 in Springfield | $103,453 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $883/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $45,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Springfield, MO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 65.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 85.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 88.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Springfield, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$972/yr.
80 Strong offer
Springfield, MO → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$972/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Springfield, MO is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Springfield, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Springfield, MO | Real change, Birmingham → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Springfield, MO | Springfield pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $49,380 | $51,085 (−18.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $102,350 | $105,884 (−15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $73,020 | $75,542 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $79,370 | $82,111 (+4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.