City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 14.3% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $114,300 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.4% moving from Detroit, MI to Tuscaloosa, AL ($117,402 → $107,510), while prices change by −12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (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
| Detroit, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,461 in Tuscaloosa | $114,336 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Detroit → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,344 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,431 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,410 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,510 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $127,044 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $60,220 | $68,853 (+5.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $104,870 | $119,904 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $71,690 | $81,968 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $75,250 | $86,038 (−11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.