City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 19.2% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $119,200 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.3% moving from New Haven, CT to Tuscaloosa, AL ($125,431 → $107,510), while prices change by −16.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (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
| New Haven, CT | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,897 in Tuscaloosa | $119,194 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, New Haven → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,344 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,431 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,410 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,510 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,044 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $60,220 | $71,778 (−10.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $104,870 | $124,998 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $71,690 | $85,450 (−10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $75,250 | $89,693 (−14.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.