City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 9.6% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $109,600 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,594 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Huntington, WV to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.0% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntington, WV | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,584 in Tucson | $91,255 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,594/yr.
41 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,594/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Huntington → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $47,220 | $43,090 (−25.0%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $123,710 | $112,891 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $76,320 | $69,645 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $94,110 | $85,880 (+6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.