City comparison
Jackson, MS vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Jackson, MS are 1.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $101,500 in Jackson, MS to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,097 a month in Jackson, MS versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Jackson, MS and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,467 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Jackson, MS.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Jackson, MS to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (much 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
| Jackson, MS | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,511 in Tuscaloosa | $101,512 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Tuscaloosa, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,467/yr.
73 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Jackson, MS
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,467/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jackson, MS is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Jackson, MS to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Jackson → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,240 | $60,220 | $61,130 (+21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $104,870 | $106,455 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $71,690 | $72,774 (+2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $75,250 | $76,387 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.