City comparison
Santa Rosa, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 22.9% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $122,900 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −19.2% moving from Santa Rosa, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($133,060 → $107,510), while prices change by −18.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (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
| Santa Rosa, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 107.8 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,387 in Tuscaloosa | $122,870 in Santa Rosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,155/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 | 35% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,850 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Rosa | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 139.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 154.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 107.8 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Rosa, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.6%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
23 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Rosa, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Santa Rosa → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,344 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,431 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $90,410 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $107,510 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $127,044 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Rosa, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Santa Rosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,060 | $60,220 | $73,992 (−25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $148,630 | $104,870 | $128,854 (−13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,690 | $71,690 | $88,085 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $174,550 | $75,250 | $92,460 (−47.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.