City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 18.6% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $118,600 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +20.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to San Jose, CA ($110,847 → $133,060), while prices change by +18.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,643 in San Jose | $84,287 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $2,982/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.7%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.6%; 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; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | San Jose, CA | Real change, Huntsville → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $77,161 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $93,358 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $111,896 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $133,060 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $157,236 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $102,860 | $86,697 (+39.3%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $213,110 | $179,624 (+40.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $121,700 | $102,577 (+29.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $216,740 | $182,683 (+137.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.