City comparison
College Station, TX vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in College Station, TX are 3.7% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $103,700 in College Station, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from College Station, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much 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
| College Station, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,450 in Tuscaloosa | $103,681 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
80 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → College Station, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX 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 College Station, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, College Station → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $60,220 | $62,437 (+7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $104,870 | $108,730 (+6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $71,690 | $74,329 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $75,250 | $78,020 (−6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.