City comparison
San Jose, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 25.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $125,900 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −19.2% moving from San Jose, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($133,060 → $107,510), while prices change by −20.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.7% in real buying power.
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much 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
| San Jose, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.4 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $79,442 in Tuscaloosa | $125,878 in San Jose |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,982/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 48% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $84,050 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Jose | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 211.9 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 156.7 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 110.4 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Jose, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.6%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
3 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Jose, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from San Jose, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Jose, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, San Jose → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,344 | +1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,431 | +1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $90,410 | +1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $107,510 | +1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $127,044 | +1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Jose, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in San Jose dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,860 | $60,220 | $75,804 (−26.3%) |
| Software Developers | $213,110 | $104,870 | $132,009 (−38.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $121,700 | $71,690 | $90,242 (−25.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $216,740 | $75,250 | $94,723 (−56.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.