City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 9.3% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $109,300 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,587 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.8% moving from Huntsville, AL to Providence, RI ($110,847 → $120,548), while prices change by +9.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,349 in Providence | $91,451 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,587/yr.
42 Weak offer
Providence, RI → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,587/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Providence, RI | Real change, Huntsville → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $69,905 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $84,579 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $101,375 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $120,548 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $142,452 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $86,720 | $79,306 (+27.4%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $130,690 | $119,517 (−6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $95,020 | $86,896 (+9.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $99,880 | $91,341 (+18.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.