City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Omaha, NE are 4.8% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $104,800 in Omaha, NE to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,065 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.0% moving from Omaha, NE to Tuscaloosa, AL ($107,501 → $107,510), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Omaha, NE | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,442 in Tuscaloosa | $104,775 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,065/yr.
84 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Omaha, NE
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,065/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Omaha → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $62,344 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $75,431 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $90,410 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $107,510 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $127,044 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $60,220 | $63,096 (+0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $104,870 | $109,878 (−12.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $71,690 | $75,113 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $75,250 | $78,843 (−6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.