City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 1.8% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $101,800 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Toledo, OH ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,263 in Toledo | $101,768 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Toledo, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
74 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Huntsville, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Toledo, OH | Real change, Huntsville → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $63,250 | $64,368 (+3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $104,360 | $106,205 (−17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $77,400 | $78,768 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $81,050 | $82,483 (+7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.