City comparison
Peoria, IL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Peoria, IL are 4.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $104,000 in Peoria, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $818 in Peoria, IL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 13% in Peoria, IL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,805 a year in IL and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Peoria, IL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.0% in real buying power.
- Peoria, IL: price level 91.2 (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
| Peoria, IL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,154 in Tuscaloosa | $104,000 in Peoria |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,590 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Peoria, IL MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Peoria, IL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Peoria | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 63.8 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 90.5 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Peoria, IL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$70/yr.
81 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Peoria, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$70/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Peoria, IL 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 Peoria, IL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Peoria, IL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Peoria → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Peoria, IL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Peoria dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,440 | $60,220 | $62,629 (+9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,590 | $104,870 | $109,065 (−16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,540 | $71,690 | $74,558 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $75,250 | $78,260 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.