City comparison
Fresno, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 16.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $116,500 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Fresno, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,973 → $107,510), while prices change by −14.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.0% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
- 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
| Fresno, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,869 in Tuscaloosa | $116,457 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Fresno, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Fresno → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $62,344 | +17.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $75,431 | +17.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $90,410 | +17.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $107,510 | +17.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $127,044 | +17.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $60,220 | $70,130 (−11.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $104,870 | $122,128 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $71,690 | $83,488 (+6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $75,250 | $87,634 (−30.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.