City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 6.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $106,100 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Both are in AL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,735 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($110,847 → $107,510), while prices change by −5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,252 in Tuscaloosa | $106,099 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
88 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Huntsville → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $62,344 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $75,431 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $90,410 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $107,510 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $127,044 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $60,220 | $63,893 (+2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $104,870 | $111,266 (−13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $71,690 | $76,062 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $75,250 | $79,839 (+3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.