City comparison
Madison, WI vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 10.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $110,900 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $816 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Madison, WI to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.0% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,168 in Tuscaloosa | $110,904 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$816/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$816/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Madison → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $60,220 | $66,786 (+4.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $104,870 | $116,305 (−11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $71,690 | $79,507 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $75,250 | $83,455 (−17.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.