City comparison
Springfield, MA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 7.7% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $107,700 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $826 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Springfield, MA to Tulsa, OK ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Springfield, MA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.1 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,872 in Tulsa | $107,675 in Springfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,930 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Springfield, MA MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Springfield, MA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Springfield | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.8 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 97.0 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 155.0 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 101.2 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 96.1 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Springfield, MA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$826/yr.
93 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$826/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Springfield, MA is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Springfield, MA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Springfield, MA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Springfield → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Springfield, MA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Springfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,640 | $48,220 | $51,921 (−34.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,740 | $108,730 | $117,075 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,010 | $81,320 | $87,561 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,410 | $84,790 | $91,297 (−7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.