City comparison
Philadelphia, PA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 16.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $116,900 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.3% moving from Philadelphia, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($117,284 → $107,510), while prices change by −14.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (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
| Philadelphia, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,537 in Tuscaloosa | $116,908 in Philadelphia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,520/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,310 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Philadelphia | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 114.4 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 103.1 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 102.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Philadelphia, PA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Philadelphia, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Philadelphia, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Philadelphia, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Philadelphia → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,344 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,431 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,410 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $107,510 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $127,044 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Philadelphia, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Philadelphia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,570 | $60,220 | $70,402 (−10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $104,870 | $122,601 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,990 | $71,690 | $83,811 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,180 | $75,250 | $87,973 (−13.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.