City comparison
Gulfport, MS vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 3.4% higher than in Gulfport, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Gulfport, MS would need about $103,400 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 15% in Gulfport, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,467 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Gulfport, MS.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Gulfport, MS to Huntsville, AL ($106,437 → $110,847), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Gulfport, MS | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,406 in Huntsville | $96,706 in Gulfport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $923/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,470 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gulfport | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.9 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 76.3 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gulfport, MS → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,467/yr.
58 Fair offer
Huntsville, AL → Gulfport, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,467/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gulfport, MS is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Gulfport, MS to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gulfport, MS | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Gulfport → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,279 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,772 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,216 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,847 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,987 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gulfport, MS | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Gulfport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,820 | $62,250 | $60,199 (+18.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,240 | $128,080 | $123,861 (+18.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,380 | $79,220 | $76,610 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,960 | $77,090 | $74,550 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.