City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kansas City, MO are 5.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $105,500 in Kansas City, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $972 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Kansas City, MO to Tuscaloosa, AL ($108,173 → $107,510), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,791 in Tuscaloosa | $105,496 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$972/yr.
86 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Kansas City, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$972/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Kansas City → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $62,344 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $75,431 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $90,410 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $107,510 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $127,044 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $60,220 | $63,530 (+4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $104,870 | $110,633 (−11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $71,690 | $75,630 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $75,250 | $79,386 (−4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.