City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Wichita, KS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 3.0% higher than in Wichita, KS. Someone earning $100,000 in Wichita, KS would need about $103,000 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 $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,780 in KS.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Wichita, KS ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 88.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,056 in Wichita | $103,033 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $849/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,780 (KS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Wichita, KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Wichita |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 66.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 94.0 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 93.8 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 88.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Wichita, KS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$45/yr.
78 Strong offer
Wichita, KS → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$45/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Wichita, KS is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Wichita, KS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Wichita, KS | Real change, Birmingham → Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Wichita, KS | Wichita pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $58,640 | $60,419 (−3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $105,980 | $109,195 (−12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $79,270 | $81,674 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $76,540 | $78,862 (+0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.