City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tuscaloosa, AL are 1.5% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $101,500 in Tuscaloosa, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Kingsport, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Kingsport, TN to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (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
| Kingsport, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,475 in Tuscaloosa | $98,547 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Tuscaloosa, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
64 Fair offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Kingsport, TN
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN 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 Kingsport, TN to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Kingsport → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $60,220 | $59,345 (+2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $104,870 | $103,346 (−10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $71,690 | $70,648 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $75,250 | $74,156 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.