City comparison
New York, NY vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 28.3% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $128,300 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.3% moving from New York, NY to Tuscaloosa, AL ($125,431 → $107,510), while prices change by −22.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.0% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much 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 York, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $77,931 in Tuscaloosa | $128,318 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +28.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.1%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
11 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY 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 York, NY to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, New York → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,344 | +10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,431 | +10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,410 | +10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,510 | +10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,044 | +10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $60,220 | $77,273 (−20.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $104,870 | $134,567 (−19.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $71,690 | $91,991 (−12.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $75,250 | $96,559 (−19.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.