City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 9.0% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $109,000 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,780 in MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Mobile, AL to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,039 in Springfield | $91,710 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$45/yr.
43 Weak offer
Springfield, MA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$45/yr.
97 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Springfield, MA | Real change, Mobile → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,810 | $128,910 | $118,224 (−2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $127,740 | $117,151 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $92,010 | $84,383 (+17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $98,410 | $90,252 (+13.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.