City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 20.9% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $120,900 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.2% moving from Huntsville, AL to New York, NY ($110,847 → $125,431), while prices change by +20.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,942 in New York | $82,684 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.3%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | New York, NY | Real change, Huntsville → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $72,737 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $88,005 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $105,481 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $125,431 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $148,222 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | New York, NY | New York pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $96,900 | $80,121 (+28.7%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $166,830 | $137,942 (+7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $105,650 | $87,356 (+10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $119,720 | $98,990 (+28.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.