City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 12.2% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $112,200 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Boise City, ID to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.3% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,157 in Tuscaloosa | $112,162 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Boise City → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +13.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +13.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +13.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +13.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +13.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $60,220 | $67,544 (+10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $104,870 | $117,625 (−10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $71,690 | $80,409 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $75,250 | $84,402 (−13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.