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CityLedger

Clarksville vs Tuscaloosa

Metro-area medians — Clarksville, TN-KY Metro Area vs Tuscaloosa, AL Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Tuscaloosa comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 10 clearly-decided measures.

Tuscaloosa is about 4% cheaper to live in, while Clarksville households earn about 16% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Clarksville.

Their widest everyday difference: Clarksville has the tighter job market — 4.7% unemployment versus 6.5%.

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.

Clarksville, TN
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$67,417
real value after local prices
Tuscaloosa, AL
$57,754
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$65,837
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Clarksville leaves you about $1,580/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
Clarksville
Tuscaloosa
Livability (CityLedger)
41/100
31/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
90.9
87.7
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$79,549
$70,997
Median household income
$72,347
$62,280
Median rent
$1,260/mo
$1,042/mo
Median home value
$291,700
$239,500
Unemployment
4.7%
6.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
26.6%
30.8%
Average commute
27.5 min
24.7 min
Air quality (median AQI)
42
37
Avg temperature
58°F
65°F

Choose Clarksville for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Unemployment
Full Clarksville profile →

Choose Tuscaloosa for

  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Tuscaloosa profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Clarksville and Tuscaloosa on cost, income, size, and education.

Clarksville vs Spartanburg→Clarksville vs Killeen→Clarksville vs Gulfport→Tuscaloosa vs Columbus→Tuscaloosa vs Las Cruces→Tuscaloosa vs Mobile→

Clarksville vs Tuscaloosa — frequently asked

Is Clarksville cheaper than Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 4% below Clarksville's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Clarksville or Tuscaloosa?
Clarksville has the higher median household income — $72,347 versus $62,280 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 16% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Clarksville or Tuscaloosa?
A paycheck stretches further in Clarksville. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $79,549 there versus $70,997 in Tuscaloosa.
Which has cheaper rent, Clarksville or Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa has cheaper rent — a median of $1,042/mo versus $1,260/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).