City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 9.8% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $109,800 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, 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 Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Nashville, TN to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.9% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (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
| Nashville, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,056 in Tuscaloosa | $109,822 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/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 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
99 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, 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 Nashville, TN to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Nashville → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $60,220 | $66,135 (+7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $104,870 | $115,170 (−9.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $71,690 | $78,731 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $75,250 | $82,641 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.