City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cincinnati, OH are 2.5% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $102,500 in Cincinnati, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.0% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Huntsville, AL ($110,865 → $110,847), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cincinnati, OH | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,590 in Huntsville | $102,469 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
76 Strong offer
Huntsville, AL → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Cincinnati → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $64,279 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $77,772 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $93,216 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $110,847 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $130,987 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $62,250 | $63,787 (−1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $128,080 | $131,242 (+8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $79,220 | $81,176 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $77,090 | $78,993 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.