City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 16.6% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $116,600 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Hartford, CT to Mobile, AL ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hartford, CT | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,743 in Mobile | $116,627 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Mobile, AL | Real change, Hartford → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $60,970 | $71,107 (−10.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $122,540 | $142,915 (+7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $72,130 | $84,123 (−12.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $79,490 | $92,707 (−8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.