City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 18.7% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $118,700 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −19.2% moving from Modesto, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($133,060 → $107,510), while prices change by −15.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Modesto, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,261 in Tuscaloosa | $118,679 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Modesto → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,344 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,431 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $90,410 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $107,510 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $127,044 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $60,220 | $71,469 (−29.7%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $104,870 | $124,459 (+3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $71,690 | $85,081 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $75,250 | $89,306 (−32.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.