City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 6.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $106,100 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,353 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Louisville, KY to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: 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
| Louisville, KY | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,250 in Tuscaloosa | $106,101 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,353/yr.
88 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Louisville, KY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,353/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Louisville → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $60,220 | $63,894 (+3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $104,870 | $111,268 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $71,690 | $76,064 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $75,250 | $79,841 (−5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.