City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 22.0% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $122,000 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Huntsville, AL to Los Angeles, CA ($110,847 → $124,085), while prices change by +22.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,020 in Los Angeles | $81,954 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.0%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Huntsville → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $71,957 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $87,061 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $104,349 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $124,085 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $146,632 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $101,860 | $83,478 (+34.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $160,920 | $131,881 (+3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $94,360 | $77,332 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $135,560 | $111,097 (+44.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.