City comparison
Shreveport, LA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tuscaloosa, AL are 3.5% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $103,500 in Tuscaloosa, AL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $982 a month in Shreveport, LA and $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,121 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Shreveport, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Shreveport, LA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much 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
| Shreveport, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 84.8 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,487 in Tuscaloosa | $96,630 in Shreveport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $982/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,820 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Shreveport | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 52.3 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 72.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 84.8 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Shreveport, LA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$2,121/yr.
58 Fair offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,121/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Shreveport, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Shreveport, LA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Shreveport, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Shreveport → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Shreveport, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Shreveport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,850 | $60,220 | $58,191 (−5.9%) |
| Software Developers | $96,680 | $104,870 | $101,336 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,420 | $71,690 | $69,274 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,080 | $75,250 | $72,714 (−9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.