City comparison
Knoxville, TN vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Knoxville, TN are 5.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $105,500 in Knoxville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,184 a month in Knoxville, TN versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Knoxville, TN and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Knoxville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Knoxville, TN to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.6% in real buying power.
- Knoxville, TN: price level 92.6 (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
| Knoxville, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,764 in Tuscaloosa | $105,525 in Knoxville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,184/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 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,080 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Knoxville, TN and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Knoxville | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 82.8 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.9 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Knoxville, TN → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
86 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Knoxville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Knoxville, 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 Knoxville, TN to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Knoxville, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Knoxville → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Knoxville, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Knoxville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,980 | $60,220 | $63,547 (+2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $121,750 | $104,870 | $110,664 (−9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,380 | $71,690 | $75,651 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,240 | $75,250 | $79,408 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.