City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 14.3% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $114,300 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($113,356 → $107,510), while prices change by −12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.4% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,522 in Tuscaloosa | $114,256 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $62,344 | +8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $75,431 | +8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $90,410 | +8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $107,510 | +8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $127,044 | +8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $60,220 | $68,805 (+28.3%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $104,870 | $119,821 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $71,690 | $81,910 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $75,250 | $85,978 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.