City comparison
Tucson, AZ vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 10.5% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $110,500 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,444 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.9% moving from Tucson, AZ to Tuscaloosa, AL ($108,455 → $107,510), while prices change by −9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.5% in real buying power.
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (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
| Tucson, AZ | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,532 in Tuscaloosa | $110,458 in Tucson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,081/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,760 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Tucson-Nogales, AZ | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Tucson, AZ MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tucson, AZ and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tucson | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 91.8 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tucson, AZ → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$2,444/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,444/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tucson, AZ is in the Tucson-Nogales, AZ pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Tucson, AZ to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tucson, AZ | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Tucson → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,893 | $62,344 | +9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,095 | $75,431 | +9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,205 | $90,410 | +9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,455 | $107,510 | +9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,162 | $127,044 | +9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tucson, AZ | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Tucson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,220 | $60,220 | $66,518 (+40.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,710 | $104,870 | $115,837 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $71,690 | $79,187 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,110 | $75,250 | $83,120 (−11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.