Is Birmingham cheaper than New Orleans?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Birmingham and New Orleans metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Birmingham or New Orleans?

Birmingham has the higher median household income — $74,954 versus $62,373 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 20% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Birmingham or New Orleans?

A paycheck stretches further in Birmingham. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $81,788 there versus $67,360 in New Orleans.

Which has cheaper rent, Birmingham or New Orleans?

Rents are close — $1,262/mo in the Birmingham metro versus $1,262/mo in New Orleans (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Birmingham vs New Orleans

Metro-area medians — Birmingham, AL Metro Area vs New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Birmingham comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Birmingham and New Orleans cost about the same to live in, but Birmingham households earn about 20% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Birmingham.

Their widest everyday difference: Birmingham has the tighter job market — 3.8% unemployment versus 5%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Birmingham, AL

$57,754

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$63,019

real value after local prices

New Orleans, LA

$59,439

take-home / yr · 21% to tax

$64,191

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, New Orleans leaves you about $1,171/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Birmingham

New Orleans

Livability (CityLedger)

52/100

36/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

91.6

92.6

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$81,788

$67,360

Median household income

$74,954

$62,373

Median rent

$1,262/mo

Median home value

$263,900

$267,900

Unemployment

3.8%

Bachelor's degree or higher

35.9%

34.2%

Average commute

27.3 min

24.9 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

64°F

70°F

Choose Birmingham for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Birmingham profile →

Choose New Orleans for

+ Average commute
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full New Orleans profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Birmingham and New Orleans on cost, income, size, and education.

Birmingham vs Columbia→Birmingham vs Louisville→Birmingham vs Knoxville→New Orleans vs Knoxville→New Orleans vs Greensboro→New Orleans vs Columbia→

Birmingham vs New Orleans — frequently asked

Is Birmingham cheaper than New Orleans?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Birmingham and New Orleans metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Birmingham or New Orleans?: Birmingham has the higher median household income — $74,954 versus $62,373 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 20% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Birmingham or New Orleans?: A paycheck stretches further in Birmingham. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $81,788 there versus $67,360 in New Orleans.
Which has cheaper rent, Birmingham or New Orleans?: Rents are close — $1,262/mo in the Birmingham metro versus $1,262/mo in New Orleans (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).