City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 17.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $117,100 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Hartford, CT to Tuscaloosa, AL ($120,094 → $107,510), while prices change by −14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.9% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (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
| Hartford, CT | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,378 in Tuscaloosa | $117,127 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $972/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.6%; 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; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Hartford → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,344 | +4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,431 | +4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $90,410 | +4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $107,510 | +4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $127,044 | +4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $60,220 | $70,534 (−11.6%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $104,870 | $122,831 (−7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $71,690 | $83,968 (−12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $75,250 | $88,138 (−13.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.