City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 9.3% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $109,300 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Tuscaloosa, AL ($111,301 → $107,510), while prices change by −8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,526 in Tuscaloosa | $109,259 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
98 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Buffalo → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,344 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $75,431 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $90,410 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $107,510 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $127,044 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $60,220 | $65,796 (−14.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $104,870 | $114,580 (−10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $71,690 | $78,328 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $75,250 | $82,217 (−17.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.