City comparison
Durham, NC vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 11.2% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $111,200 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Durham, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL ($111,147 → $107,510), while prices change by −10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.6% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,905 in Tuscaloosa | $111,229 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Durham → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,344 | +7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,431 | +7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,410 | +7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $107,510 | +7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $127,044 | +7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $60,220 | $66,982 (+30.3%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $104,870 | $116,645 (−14.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $71,690 | $79,740 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $75,250 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.