City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 7.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $107,900 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($110,047 → $107,510), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (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
| Pittsburgh, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,660 in Tuscaloosa | $107,922 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/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 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
94 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Pittsburgh → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $62,344 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $75,431 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $90,410 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $107,510 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $127,044 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $60,220 | $64,990 (−15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $104,870 | $113,177 (−9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $71,690 | $77,369 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $75,250 | $81,211 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.