City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Des Moines, IA are 4.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $104,500 in Des Moines, IA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,587 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Des Moines, IA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($107,301 → $107,510), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,661 in Tuscaloosa | $104,536 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,587/yr.
83 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Des Moines, IA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,587/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Des Moines → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $62,344 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $75,431 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $90,410 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $107,510 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $127,044 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $60,220 | $62,952 (+2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $104,870 | $109,627 (−13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $71,690 | $74,942 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $75,250 | $78,663 (+0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.