

Moving from Ames to Birmingham
Moving from Ames to Birmingham: −$53/mo after tax & rent
AmesBirminghamAbout 701 miles apart, a flight.
- Birmingham costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
$2,348/mo in Birmingham. $2,401/mo in Ames. −$636 a year.
Ames
$2,401
left each month
Birmingham
$2,348
−$53 vs Ames
Next
Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough Ames → Birmingham pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
See full breakdown
| Per month | Ames | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $4,877 | $5,326 |
| Rent | $760 | $1,106 |
| All other costs | $1,716 | $1,872 |
| Left over | $2,401 | $2,348 |
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Ames and Birmingham changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
What the move itself costs
About 841 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $2,500–$4,650
- Container or pod
- $1,750–$3,250
- Rent a truck
- $900–$1,700
Explore more
Other moves from Ames
Dig into Birmingham
Questions
Is Birmingham cheaper than Ames after tax and rent?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Birmingham leaves about $53 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $760 in Ames and $1,106 in Birmingham.
Does Birmingham have state income tax?
Birmingham is in Alabama, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.
Did people actually move from Ames to Birmingham?
Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.