City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 5.3% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $105,300 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $850 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Huntington, WV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Huntington, WV to Huntsville, AL ($106,437 → $110,847), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (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
| Huntington, WV | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,259 in Huntsville | $95,004 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$850/yr.
53 Fair offer
Huntsville, AL → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$850/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV 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 Huntington, WV to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Huntington → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,279 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,772 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,216 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,847 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,987 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $62,250 | $59,140 (+2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $128,080 | $121,681 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $79,220 | $75,262 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $77,090 | $73,238 (−9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.