City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 17.8% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $117,800 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,444 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Tuscaloosa, AL ($111,338 → $107,510), while prices change by −15.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.7% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,907 in Tuscaloosa | $117,777 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$2,444/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,444/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Phoenix → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $62,344 | +13.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $75,431 | +13.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $90,410 | +13.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $107,510 | +13.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $127,044 | +13.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $60,220 | $70,925 (+19.8%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $104,870 | $123,512 (−6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $71,690 | $84,434 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $75,250 | $88,627 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.