City comparison
Tuscaloosa, AL vs Wichita, KS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Wichita, KS are 1.4% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $101,400 in Wichita, KS to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,780 in KS.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Tuscaloosa, AL to Wichita, KS ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Tuscaloosa, AL | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.7 | 88.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,395 in Wichita | $98,624 in Tuscaloosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $972/mo | $849/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,780 (KS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $47,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tuscaloosa, AL and Wichita, KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tuscaloosa | Wichita |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.2 | 66.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 94.0 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 93.8 |
| Overall | 87.7 | 88.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tuscaloosa, AL → Wichita, KS
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$45/yr.
64 Fair offer
Wichita, KS → Tuscaloosa, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$45/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tuscaloosa, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Wichita, KS is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Tuscaloosa, AL to Wichita, KS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tuscaloosa, AL | Wichita, KS | Real change, Tuscaloosa → Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tuscaloosa, AL | Wichita, KS | Wichita pay in Tuscaloosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,220 | $58,640 | $57,833 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,870 | $105,980 | $104,522 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,690 | $79,270 | $78,179 (+9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,250 | $76,540 | $75,487 (+0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.