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Montgomery vs Springfield

Metro-area medians — Montgomery, AL Metro Area vs Springfield, MO Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Springfield comes out ahead, winning 4 of the 6 clearly-decided measures.

Montgomery and Springfield are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Springfield has the tighter job market — 2.8% unemployment versus 3.5%.

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.

Montgomery, AL
$57,754
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$64,398
real value after local prices
Springfield, MO
$58,705
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$66,269
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Springfield leaves you about $1,871/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
Montgomery
Springfield
Livability (CityLedger)
47/100
52/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
89.7
88.6
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$74,381
$75,881
Median household income
$66,706
$67,219
Median rent
$1,141/mo
$1,019/mo
Median home value
$220,500
$260,000
Unemployment
3.5%
2.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher
33.2%
32.8%
Average commute
24.8 min
22.5 min
Air quality (median AQI)
42
45
Avg temperature
66°F
56°F

Choose Montgomery for

  • + Median home value
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Montgomery profile →

Choose Springfield for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Median rent
  • + Unemployment
  • + Average commute
Full Springfield profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Montgomery and Springfield on cost, income, size, and education.

Montgomery vs Jackson→Montgomery vs Lynchburg→Montgomery vs Mobile→Springfield vs Little Rock→Springfield vs Davenport→Springfield vs Fort Wayne→

Montgomery vs Springfield — frequently asked

Is Montgomery cheaper than Springfield?
They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Montgomery and Springfield metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Montgomery or Springfield?
Household incomes are similar — $66,706 in the Montgomery metro versus $67,219 in Springfield (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
Does a paycheck go further in Montgomery or Springfield?
It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($74,381 versus $75,881).
Which has cheaper rent, Montgomery or Springfield?
Springfield has cheaper rent — a median of $1,019/mo versus $1,141/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).